[Joint letter] To Foreign Minister Kamikawa, we call on the Japanese government to act to protect the independence of the ICC<\/p>\n
On May 30, 32 human rights NGOs and NPOs, including Human Rights Now, sent a joint letter to Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.<\/p>\n
In the joint letter, we call on the Japanese government to publicly defend the independence of the ICC and to publicly denounce the intimidation and obstruction of all people and institutions involved in the ICC’s activities. We also call on the Japanese government to fully support the ICC prosecutor in conducting an independent investigation. Furthermore, we publicly support any future arrest warrants issued by the ICC, offer our commitment to cooperate with the Japanese government to ensure their execution, and urge Palestinian and Israeli authorities to cooperate with the ICC.<\/p>\n
The full text of the joint letter is below, where you can see a list of all signatories to the joint letter.<\/p>\n
Click the following links to also download the English version<\/a> and original Japanese version<\/a> of the joint letter in PDF format.<\/p>\n May 30, 2024<\/p>\n Ms. Yoko Kamikawa Joint letter to the Japanese government to take actions to protect the independence of ICC<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa,<\/p>\n On May 20, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, Karim Khan, applied<\/a> to the court\u2019s judges for arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders (Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri \u2013 more commonly known as Deif \u2013 and Ismail Haniyeh) and two senior Israeli officials (Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant) for alleged crimes committed since October 7, 2023, in relation to his ongoing Palestine investigation.<\/p>\n We, the undersigned Japanese NGOs, urge Japan, as an ICC member committed to a rules-based international order, to protect the court\u2019s independence and publicly condemn efforts to intimidate or interfere with the court\u2019s work, its officials, and those cooperating with the institution.<\/p>\n On April 24, 12 US senators wrote to Khan<\/a>, threatening to end all US support to the ICC, sanction the institution and its officials, and bar the prosecutor and court staff from entering the United States if steps were taken to pursue warrants against Israeli officials. US congress members have also introduced legislation<\/a> aimed at imposing sanctions on ICC officials. The speaker of the House of Representatives has called on the Biden administration<\/a> to \u201cimmediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC stand down and the US should use every available tool to prevent such an abomination.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there have been reports<\/a> that the Israeli government was seeking support from ICC member countries and other governments in opposing the Office of the Prosecutor\u2019s ongoing Palestine investigation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also publicly denounced the ICC<\/a> and called on governments to thwart the court\u2019s efforts to scrutinize Israeli actions. In response to these attacks, the Prosecutor\u2019s Office issued a statement<\/a> on May 3 noting the court\u2019s jurisdiction over offenses against the administration of justice and \u201cinsist[ing] that all attempts to impede, intimidate, or improperly influence its officials cease immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n The presidency of the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), has called<\/a> for respect for the court\u2019s independence in the wake of these latest threats. This is not the first time the ICC has faced politicized opposition. As you know, the former US administration abused its sanctions regime against the prosecutor\u2019s predecessor in a bid to undermine or deter investigations that could implicate US or Israeli nationals. At the time, 67 member countries<\/a>, the ASP President<\/a>, and nongovernmental organizations<\/a> spoke out for the court. When the current US administration lifted the sanctions in 2021, Japan welcomed the move<\/a>. Similarly, following its issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladmir Putin as part of the prosecutor\u2019s ongoing Ukraine investigation, in 2023, Russia issued<\/a> arrest<\/a> warrants<\/a> against the Khan and six of the court\u2019s judges, including current ICC President Tomoko Akane. Russian lawmakers have also enacted a law<\/a> criminalizing cooperation with the ICC. Member countries, including Japan<\/a>, and the ASP<\/a> presidency<\/a> publicly condemned these attacks against the court.<\/p>\n The ICC plays an essential role as a court of last resort to deliver justice to victims of the world\u2019s worst crimes. ICC members like Japan have a responsibility to protect the court\u2019s impartiality and independence across all situations on its docket.<\/p>\n
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\n2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
\nTokyo 100-8919, Japan<\/p>\n