International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane on Wednesday pushed back against a US campaign to dismantle the Hague-based judicial body, calling on member states to support the court.
"The ICC must not be dismantled," Akane told a virtual news conference, Tokyo-based Kyodo news agency reported.
Akane is the first Japanese national to head the court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, has called the court a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate."
"We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty," Rubio said last week, when the US sanctioned Akane and ICC prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye.
"I have no reason to incur US sanctions," Akane told the online news conference.
"I will resist any adverse consequences," she added.
Rubio said: "Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping."
"We expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court," he said.
The US has targeted 18 ICC judges, freezing their assets and effectively barring them from the US financial system and entering the country.
"The situation is becoming increasingly serious," Akane told Japan's public broadcaster NHK earlier.
Urging support from Tokyo, Akane said Japan "gained international respect because it has maintained pacifism and the rule of law since the end of World War Two."
The Japanese government said it had "repeatedly urged Washington at various levels not to sanction" Akane.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that the US sanctions were "incompatible" with Tokyo's stance, which has reiterated its support for the court.
Tokyo called the sanctions "very unfortunate," but has faced criticism for what has been described as its "weak response" to the US.
