Former Students Rally Behind U.S.-Sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane

Former students of International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane have expressed support for the Japanese jurist after the United States imposed sanctions against her in August, according to Kyodo News.

International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane receives messages of support from former students following US sanctions imposed against her. [Photo: International Criminal Court]

Akane taught at several institutions, including Nagoya University Graduate School of Law, while serving as a prosecutor. Some of her former students, now practicing lawyers, established the Japan International Rule of Law network, known as JIRoL, which supports the ICC.

Akane, 70, is from Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture in central Japan. She served as a professor at Nagoya University's law school from 2005 to 2007.

Former student Yosuke Shamoto, a 45-year-old lawyer, described her as friendly, unpretentious and dedicated to her work and the people around her. He said her character had remained consistent over the years.

Akane maintained contact with students after leaving the university.

She reportedly invited students who were uncertain about their career paths to visit a public prosecutor's office and attended celebrations for those who passed Japan's bar examination.

Some former students later visited the ICC's headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, after Akane became its president.

A petition supporting Akane and criticizing the US sanctions reportedly collected more than 170,000 signatures. Maiko Imaizumi, a 44-year-old lawyer, said Akane welcomed the support, emphasizing the importance of people coming together to express their views.

The sanctions reflect continuing tensions between Washington and the ICC over the court's jurisdiction and its actions involving individuals connected to the United States and its allies.

Supporters of the court argue that international accountability and the rule of law should be upheld, while US officials have raised objections to what they view as an overreach of the court's authority.