Release date
The head of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said at the organization’s annual meeting on Monday that he would not bow to pressure from the United States and Russia.
Six judges and nine officials, including the court’s chief prosecutor, have been sanctioned by U.S. President Donald Trump for pursuing investigations into U.S. and Israeli officials, while the Russian government has issued warrants against officials in response to President Vladimir Putin’s arrest warrant over the Ukraine war.
“We will never accept any pressure,” Judge Tomoko Akane told delegates from the court’s 125 member countries.
The sanctions are a major blow to the courts’ wide investigative work as they grapple with ever-increasing demands on their resources.
Akane warned in a speech last year that the court was under threat from the incoming Trump administration.
Three weeks into his second term as president, President Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on prosecutor Karim Khan over his investigation into Israel, a close U.S. ally.
A court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes charges related to Israel’s military attack on Gaza.
The court’s weeklong session began on Monday, with topics including approving the budget amid mounting pressure and unfavorable headlines.
court of last resort
The ICC was established in 2002 as the world’s permanent court of finality to prosecute those responsible for the most heinous atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression.
The United States, Israel, Russia, and China are not members.
Courts take action only when states are unable or unwilling to prosecute those crimes within their own territory. The ICC has no police force and relies on member states to execute arrest warrants.
In addition to staff members facing sanctions and arrest warrants, Khan has temporarily stepped down pending the outcome of an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He denies the charges.
Paivi Kaukoranta, president of the Assembly of States Parties, acknowledged that the investigation into what happened between Mr Khan and a female aide is taking longer than expected.
“We are well aware that states are frustrated with the length of this process,” she said in her opening remarks.
No date has been set for the investigation to be completed.
Additional sources of information • AP
