ICC president vows to resist US and Russian pressure despite sanctions and threats

By MOLLY QUELL Associated Press THE HAGUE Netherlands AP The president of the International Criminal Court commented during the institution s annual meeting Monday that it will not bow to pressure from the United States and Russia Related Articles Rage bait named Oxford University Press word of year as outrage fuels social media traffic in Land and measure are the main sticking points as Russia and Ukraine mull Trump s peace proposal In current times in History December Ukraine votes for independence Netanyahu asks Israel s president to pardon him in corruption cases In announcing pardon of drug trafficker while threatening Venezuela Trump displays contradictions Nine staff members including six judges and the court s chief prosecutor have been sanctioned by U S President Donald Trump for pursuing investigations into U S and Israeli executives while Moscow has issued warrants for staff in response to an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine We never accept any kind of pressure Judge Tomoko Akane advised delegations from the court s member states The sanctions have taken their toll on the court s work across a broad array of investigations at a time when the institution is juggling ever more demands on its guidance In her address last year Akane warned that the court was being threatened by the incoming Trump administration Three weeks after he took office for the second time Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Prosecutor Karim Khan over investigations of Israel a close U S ally The court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes over Israel s military offensive in Gaza after the deadly Oct Hamas attacks The court s weeklong meeting opened Monday Business on the agenda includes approving its budget against a backdrop of mounting pressure and unfavorable headlines The ICC was established in as the world s permanent court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the the greater part heinous atrocities war crimes crimes against humanity genocide and the crime of aggression The U S Israel Russia and China are among the nations that are not members The court only takes action when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute those crimes on their territory The ICC has no police force and relies on member states to execute arrest warrants On top of staff facing sanctions and arrest warrants Khan has stepped down temporarily pending the outcome of an review into claims of sexual misconduct He denies the claims The president of the Assembly of States Parties P ivi Kaukoranta acknowledged the probe into what happened between Khan and a female aide has taken longer than expected I am well aware that states have been frustrated with the length of this process she revealed in her opening remarks There is no date set for the inquiry to be completed