Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, vowed Wednesday to resist U.S. sanctions against her and protect the Hague-based judicial body amid mounting pressure from Washington.
"I have no reason to incur (U.S.) sanctions," Akane said at a closely watched online press conference. "I will resist any adverse consequences."
The administration of President Donald Trump has taken a hostile stance toward the ICC over its investigations, including into alleged war crimes by U.S. service members.
"The ICC must not be dismantled," Akane said, calling on ICC member states, including her native Japan, to keep supporting the court.
Akane is among nine of the ICC's 18 judges who have been targeted by U.S. sanctions, which freeze assets in the United States, effectively cutting off access to the U.S. financial system, and generally bar those targeted from entering the country.
Japan was the ICC's largest financial contributor in 2025.
European countries and the United Nations have condemned the sanctions against the ICC judges, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi initially limited her response to saying she was "very unfortunate," drawing criticism that Japan was taking a weak stance.
On Tuesday, however, Takaichi said the sanctions are "incompatible with Japan's position" of placing importance on the rule of law and that the government was taking the matter "very seriously."
"The United States has long accused the ICC of being a corrupt organization that has abused its power and taken resources from sovereign states, but I have never been involved in any such conduct," Akane said at the news conference hosted by the Japan National Press Club.
"The inconvenience and threats that these sanctions may cause me personally were something I anticipated from the outset. They will not change the way I approach my judicial duties or how I respond to threats."
Akane also said she would like Japan to urge countries that may be considering withdrawing from the ICC under U.S. pressure not to do so, and to call on them to stand together.
The ICC is the world's first permanent international criminal tribunal, established under the Rome Statute, which entered into force in 2002, to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious offenses.
The court has 125 member states. The United States, Russia and China are not members, but the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of member states, regardless of the suspect's nationality.
In March 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the country's invasion of Ukraine. In November 2024, it issued a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in the Gaza Strip.
"For victims of the most serious international crimes, the ICC is their last hope," Akane said.
She stressed that sanctions against the court should not be viewed as a problem for the ICC alone, but as a crisis for the rule of law itself.
Akane urged the Japanese government to continue its dialogue with the United States and work to prevent further escalation of U.S. actions.
"Even if sanctions are imposed on the ICC itself, we are determined not to give up," she said. "If the ICC were ever dismantled, I fear it would mark the beginning of a process in which the rule of law is driven out by the rule of force."
