ICC chief says US sanctions seek to 'obstruct course of justice'

Sanctions 'strike at heart of sovereign equality'

ICC President Tomoko Akane on Monday denounced US sanctions against the institution, calling them an attempt to obstruct justice as she presented the court's annual report to the UN General Assembly. Akane said the sanctions were imposed on Oct. 9, the same day the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a former judge at the court. "The contrast could not be starker," she said.

The move followed sanctions against 13 independent judges and prosecutors, including herself, and "strikes at the heart of the sovereign equality of states," Akane stated. "It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the court from doing what it was created to do," she added, stressing that the court "will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality."

Court urges states to defend Rome Statute

Akane warned that when judges are punished for their decisions, "it is not only those judges who are targeted, but judicial independence itself," urging all UN member states to take concrete action to defend the court. She noted that six states had notified the court of their withdrawal during the reporting period, while another had since taken steps to withdraw, stressing that withdrawing did not relieve states of obligations arising during their membership or affect proceedings already underway.

Arrest warrants for Israeli leaders outstanding

Addressing the situation in Palestine, Akane said the court's Appeals Chamber confirmed on Dec. 15 a Pre-Trial Chamber decision concerning notification requirements under Article 18 of the Rome Statute. She added that arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant remained outstanding, noting that "arrest warrants cannot be executed without the cooperation of states" and urging member states to assist in their arrest and surrender. "Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the Rome Statute. Every day, we must ensure that this delicate fabric withstands the forces trying to tear it apart," she said. "The time to act is now."