Director Tomoko Akane, who was appointed head of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating suspected war crimes related to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas, said in an interview with NHK that she He expressed his desire to work hard to protect the international legal order and pursue justice amidst the international situation.
On the 11th of this month, Tomoko Akane, who became the first Japanese person to become the director of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, said in an interview with NHK, ``The world situation is changing, and major wars and incidents are occurring one after another. ``I think I will be left with a very difficult position at the helm.I feel like I have taken on a lot of responsibility.''
Last March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for President Putin and others on suspicion of war crimes regarding Russia's transfer of children from Ukraine, but Russia has not cooperated.
Regarding this, Mr. Akane said, ``When issuing an arrest warrant, we do not consider that it may not be executed.We issue an arrest warrant to lead to a trial after an arrest and preliminary hearing, and we wait for the next step. There is no statute of limitations, so we will continue to strive to carry out the project until the end," he said, demonstrating his commitment to pursuing responsibility.
On the other hand, regarding Russia's decision to put ICC judges and prosecutors, including Mr. Akane, on the wanted list, he said, ``I have started to try not to go out too much.It's not just for my own safety, it's also because I don't want anything to happen to me.'' If this happens, it could become a threat to the courthouse itself,'' he said, making it clear that he was concerned about his own safety.
Regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the ICC's prosecutors are working with neighboring countries to investigate suspicions of war crimes on both sides.
Mr. Akane said, ``The ICC, which is the court that judges the most serious crimes in the world, can become a symbolic presence by demonstrating its commitment to making steady efforts for justice.'' ``Japan also recognizes that control is important,'' he said, expressing his hope that Japan, which is the largest financial contributor to the ICC, will continue to actively support its activities.
Who is Director Tomoko Akane?
Tomoko Akane is from Aichi Prefecture and has served as a judge at the ICC for the past six years after serving as a chief prosecutor at the Hakodate District Public Prosecutors Office and a prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office.
When the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March last year, I was a member of the Pre-Trial Chamber, which examined evidence and information presented by prosecutors and issued the arrest warrant. He was the first Japanese person to be elected as director through a vote of judges.
What is ICC = International Criminal Court?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent court established in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2002 to investigate serious crimes
under international law
, such as war crimes,
crimes against humanity
, and genocide, which harms ethnic groups with the intent to destroy them.
The purpose is to hold criminally responsible persons suspected of committing crimes.
There is a prosecution department that investigates cases and a trial department that conducts trials, and 900 employees, including judges and prosecutors, from around 100 countries around the world work there.
So far
, I have handled cases such as the
Darfur conflict in Sudan and the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar.
Regarding
Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, an arrest warrant was issued for President Putin on suspicion of war crimes for deporting Ukrainian children, and regarding the
conflict between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas, an arrest warrant was issued for President Putin on suspicion of war crimes. We are investigating the matter as a suspicion.
On the other hand, although 124 countries and regions including Japan are signatories to the treaty that established the ICC, the limitations of its jurisdiction have been pointed out as countries such as the United States, Russia, and China are not signatories. The challenge is whether we can hold them accountable.
Japan joined the treaty in 2007 and is the ICC's largest financial contributor, contributing 3.75 billion yen last year.
Movements surrounding the ICC
The ICC began an investigation into suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine in March of last year, shortly after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
In March of last year, Russia issued arrest warrants for President Putin and others on suspicion of war crimes over the transfer of children from occupied territories in Ukraine to the Russian side.
On the 5th of this month, arrest warrants were issued for two people, including the commander of the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, on suspicion of war crimes for attacking civilian facilities.
Russia, on the other hand, opposed this and last year placed Akane and other ICC judges and prosecutors on the wanted list for their ``involvement in illegal proceedings.''
Additionally, a year ago, a Russian intelligence officer was suspected of attempting to infiltrate the ICC as an intern by pretending to be someone else, and last year a cyber attack was carried out against the ICC.
Meanwhile, there are suspicions of war crimes in the conflict between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas, and in October last year, the court's chief prosecutor, Khan, inspected both sides when he visited the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It is made clear that there is.