Russia requests ICC leaders’ extradition, draws Japan protest
Russian prosecutors have requested the extradition of senior International Criminal Court (ICC) figures, including its president, Tomoko Akane, in a move the Japanese government called “unjustified and unacceptable” on Friday.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office on Thursday sent requests to the Netherlands and other countries for the handover of nine senior ICC figures convicted by a Russian court in absentia in December, including Japanese national Akane.
In 2023, the court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, alleging his responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied parts of Ukraine to Russia during the full-scale invasion of the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said the measures are “unjustified and unacceptable.”
He added that the Japanese government intends to “respond appropriately, including by making further representations to Russia” and “maintaining communication with the ICC and other states parties.”
The extradition request comes as The Hague-based court is under pressure from Japan’s ally, the United States, with the administration of President Donald Trump sanctioning senior ICC leadership, including Akane, in August.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said she and Trump had a “frank exchange of views” on the court in a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
