On October 9, Human Rights Watch with Tokyo-based Human Rights Now and Peace Boat held an occasion on the Japanese Diet to press the Japanese authorities to step up its efforts to defend the International Criminal Court(ICC). The ICC, a courtroom of final resort for victims of significant crimes around the globe, has been underneath excessive strain from the United States.
In February, US President Donald Trump signed an government order authorizing sanctions focusing on the ICC and its supporters, geared toward shielding Israeli and US officers from the courtroom’s scrutiny. ICC judges in November 2024 had issued arrest warrants towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in addition to a now-deceased Hamas official.
US sanctions have severe results that would severely undermine victims’ entry to justice. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions towards the ICC prosecutor, his two deputies, six ICC judges, a United Nations human rights professional, and three main Palestinian human rights teams. There is concern that the US will sanction your complete ICC.
At the occasion, which was endorsed by three bipartisan caucuses, Nonpartisan Association for Humanitarian Diplomacy, Parliamentary Association for Supporting Democratization of Myanmar, and Nonpartisan Parliamentary Association for Reconsidering Human Rights Diplomacy, practically 20 Diet members urged the Japanese authorities to take stronger measures to guard the ICC.
“Japan’s international credibility relies on our actions,” stated Masahiko Shibayama, a former training minister.
Japan has been a robust supporter of the ICC since its inception in 2002. It has nominated three of the courtroom’s judges, previous and current, and the present president, Judge Tomoko Akane.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has raised issues in regards to the sanctions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio however Japan has but to talk publicly on this subject. Japanese teams criticized the federal government for declining to affix cross-regional statements backing the courtroom. “[I]t begs the question of what Japan is really doing,” stated Diet member Yasue Funayama.
As the ICC faces a grave risk, Japan’s authorities ought to use each alternative to publicly categorical its help for the courtroom, condemn the US sanctions, and name on President Trump to revoke the chief order. It ought to assist present the ICC with the assets it wants, defend courtroom officers by ratifying the 2002 Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the ICC, and act to mitigate the results of US sanctions. Japan ought to rise up for justice.
Source: Human Rights Watch