The head of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Tomoko Akane, is upset with the United States and Russia for interfering with the court’s work. She called their actions terrible and compared them to terrorizing the ICC.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, whose party will control Congress soon, called the ICC a “dangerous joke” and said anyone who tries to help the ICC will face sanctions. He got angry after the ICC decided to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for serious crimes during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This is the first time the ICC has gone after a leader from a major Western ally.
The ICC is struggling because it doesn’t have its own police and relies on countries to carry out its arrest orders. Some countries, like France, say they will think about the legal protections Netanyahu might have before acting. Austria said it would follow the warrant reluctantly, while Hungary expressed support for Israel instead of the ICC.
Global legal expert Janina Dill warned that these threats could hurt international justice efforts. Meanwhile, Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, is facing serious personal allegations. He is accused of trying to pressure a coworker into a relationship. An investigation is starting, but it’s uncertain if this will be discussed at the ICC meeting.
The ICC was created in 2002 to bring people who commit terrible crimes to justice, but it has faced criticism for not being effective and not being able to capture wanted leaders.