ICC Director Akane criticizes US sanctions as ``attempt to obstruct justice'' - UN General Assembly

[New York Current Affairs] On the 2nd, Tomoko Akane, Director of the International Criminal Court (ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands), delivered an annual report in video format to the United Nations General Assembly. He harshly criticized the sanctions imposed by the United States on the ICC and its judges, calling them ``an attempt to obstruct the administration of justice and prevent the court from fulfilling its founding purpose.''

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Mr. Akane himself was subject to U.S. sanctions, making it difficult for him to travel to New York, where the United Nations headquarters is located, so he made the report in a pre-recorded video. Akane said, ``When judges are punished for their judicial decisions, the target is not just the judges, but the very independence of the judiciary.'' Mr. Akane called on the international community to take concrete actions to protect the ICC.

The United States criticized the ICC's designation as a sanctions target in October, calling it an "unprecedented measure." It said the sanctions were "intended to disrupt the court's operations and intimidate its staff and collaborators." Nine of the 18 ICC judges have been sanctioned, and he stressed that this has also affected the families of the staff members, victims, and witnesses.