The president of the International Criminal Court has turned to Japan for help in fighting off a Trump administration campaign to drive Asian member states out of the court.
Tomoko Akane, the ICC president who is Japanese herself, asked Tokyo for cooperation during a lecture in Osaka on Monday. She described Japan as one of the strongest member countries.
The Trump administration has been pressuring ICC member states, particularly in Asia, to withdraw from the court. Washington imposed sanctions on the ICC last year, including measures targeting its judges, after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused ICC judges of being directly engaged in what he described as the illegitimate targeting of Israel. The US does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and has a long history of opposing its investigations into American and allied officials.
Japan is one of the ICC’s most significant members. It is a major financial contributor to the court and holds symbolic weight as an Asian democracy that champions the rule of law. If Japan were to waver under US pressure, other Asian members might follow.
But Japan’s government has so far held firm. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed firm support for the ICC in a March meeting with Akane, saying Japan would continue to back the court and its role in upholding international law.
The pressure campaign is not limited to the ICC. The Trump administration has also sanctioned individual ICC officials involved in the Netanyahu arrest warrant. The court has continued its work, but the financial and political pressure is mounting.
Akane’s appeal to Japan is a recognition that the ICC cannot survive a mass withdrawal of Asian members. The court’s legitimacy depends on its global reach, and the US is trying to shrink it.