Japanese Government Expresses 'Deep Regret' Over US Trump Administration's Sanctions Against ICC President Akane
The U.S. Trump administration has announced sanctions against Tomoko Akane, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In response, the Japanese government issued a statement from the Foreign Press Secretary, clarifying its position that the move is "very unfortunate."
These sanctions are seen as a retaliatory measure against the ICC's decisions regarding individuals associated with Mr. Trump. The Japanese government maintains a position of respecting the independence and role of the ICC as an international judicial institution and has expressed concern over this U.S. decision.
On the other hand, the English expression used by the Japanese government was "very unfortunate." This is analyzed as being a slightly more restrained expression than "regrettable," a term the Japanese government has used in the past toward China and Russia. It is possible that the choice of words was made carefully, taking into account the U.S.-Japan relationship.
The ICC is a vital international institution that adjudicates war crimes and crimes against humanity. Japan is one of the ICC's primary contributors, and Ms. Akane was the first Japanese national to be elected as its president. For this reason, the Japanese government views this issue with great importance.
Moving forward, the international community is watching to see what kind of diplomatic response the Japanese government will take toward the U.S. Japan intends to continue calling for a calm response in order to uphold international rules and judicial impartiality.