ICC Head to Resist US, Russia Pressure 12/01 06:03

   The president of the International Criminal Court said during the 
institution's annual meeting Monday that it will not bow to pressure from the 
United States and Russia.

   THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The president of the International Criminal 
Court said during the institution's annual meeting Monday that it will not bow 
to pressure from the United States and Russia.

   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 officials, 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 told delegations 
from the court's 125 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 resources.

   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. 7, 2023, 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 2002 as the world's permanent court of last 
resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the most 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 investigation into allegations of sexual 
misconduct. He denies the allegations.

   The president of the Assembly of States Parties, Pivi Kaukoranta, 
acknowledged the investigation 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 said in her opening remarks.

   There is no date set for the investigation to be completed.