The International Criminal Court said Monday that Tomoko Akane was elected as its new president for a three-year term through 2027, becoming the first Japanese to head the Hague-based body.
In a plenary session, the 67-year-old was chosen along with new first and second vice presidents, Rosario Salvatore Aitala from Italy and Reine Alapini-Gansou from Benin, effective immediately, the ICC said in a press release.
The appointments came as the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian individuals, including President Vladimir Putin, over alleged war crimes in Ukraine related to Moscow's aggression against Kyiv since February 2022.
Akane was involved in the ICC's decision to grant an arrest warrant for Putin in March last year over his alleged involvement in the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. In response, Russia has put her on its wanted list.
"At this challenging time for the Court, stable, collaborative and unified leadership is required," Akane was quoted by the ICC as saying.
"I will focus on fostering dialogue amongst the organs of the Court, and defense and victims' representatives, as well as in reinforcing the dialogue with States Parties and States that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute," she added, referring to a multinational treaty that created the ICC.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa welcomed her compatriot's appointment, saying in a statement that it is "significantly meaningful" as it reflects Akane's "high reputation."
A native of the central prefecture of Aichi, Akane began serving as a prosecutor in Japan in 1982 before taking up posts such as a professor at a Japanese law school and head of a U.N. training center. She became an ICC judge in March 2018.
The ICC presidential election was held through mutual votes among the court's 18 judges, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The court is tasked with investigating and prosecuting crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
