The rule of law is under constant threat globally, warned the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday, vowing that the court would persist in its mission to uphold justice and support victims of atrocities.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the new judicial year at the Hague-based ICC, Tomoko Akane described the current situation facing international justice as “unprecedented.”
The ICC and other judicial institutions around the world, she noted, are experiencing significant pressures, coercive measures, and efforts to undermine their functions.
Long-held values and assumptions, including the basic concept of the rule of law, are increasingly challenged and contested, Akane added.
Founded in 1998 and operational since 2002, the ICC is a permanent international court tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Akane described this as the most difficult period in the court’s history.
Tensions have escalated, particularly after the court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response, the United States, a signatory to the ICC’s founding Rome Statute but one that has never ratified it, imposed sanctions against senior court officials.
These sanctions have disrupted the court’s operations and negatively impacted the lives of those targeted.
Separately, Russia recently sentenced ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and several judges to lengthy prison terms in absentia for issuing what Moscow has called “illegal arrest warrants” for President Vladimir Putin and other officials, relating to alleged crimes during Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
Akane stressed the need to return to fundamental principles. “Now, more than ever, we must champion the values of justice and humanity that transcend borders,” she stated, revealing that the ICC has issued many additional arrest warrants yet to be made public.
