Akane, who issued Putin’s arrest warrant, elected head of International Criminal Court
Tomoko Akane, who had previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Lvova-Belova, was elected as the new head of the International Criminal Court.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the ICC press service.
"Today, on 11 March 2024, the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a plenary session elected Judge Tomoko Akane as President of the Court. Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala was elected First Vice-President, and Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou was elected Second Vice-President. The members of the Presidium are elected for a three-year term, with immediate effect," the statement said.
"It is a great honour for me to be elected by my fellow judges to the position of President of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Court needs stable, cooperative and united leadership at this challenging time. I will focus on facilitating dialogue between the judiciary, the defence and victims' representatives, and on strengthening dialogue with States Parties and States that have not yet ratified the Rome Statute. I will also give priority to the safety and well-being of court staff," Tomoko Akane said.
The ICC noted that the Presidency, which consists of the President (President of the Court) and two Vice-Presidents, plays a key role in providing strategic guidance to the ICC as a whole. The Presidency coordinates its actions with other organs and seeks the consent of the Prosecutor on matters of mutual interest.
The Presidency is responsible for the proper management of the Court, with the exception of the Office of the Prosecutor.
The Presidency oversees the activities of the Registry and contributes to a wide range of administrative policies affecting the overall functioning of the ICC. It also concludes court-wide cooperation agreements with states and international organisations.
As a reminder, on 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova.
Subsequently, the Russian Interior Ministry put International Criminal Court judge Tomoko Akane, who issued the arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova, on the wanted list.
