Russian prosecutors have requested the extradition of senior figures at the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its president, Tomoko Akane, according to information made public. The move drew a sharp response from the Japanese government, which on Friday called the request "unreasonable and unacceptable."
Russia's request for the extradition of the ICC leadership marks a further escalation of tensions between Moscow and the Hague-based international court. The ICC had previously issued arrest warrants for several senior Russian officials, a step Moscow regards as legally groundless.
ICC President Tomoko Akane is a Japanese national. Japan's government expressed concern over Russia's latest move, stressing that the extradition request does not conform with the principles of international law and cannot be accepted.
It remains unclear whether Russia's extradition request can realistically be enforced, given that Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, the legal treaty that established the ICC. ICC member states are generally under no obligation to hand their own citizens over to a third party outside the court's framework.
The episode follows a series of confrontational moves between Russia and the ICC in recent times, further complicating Moscow's relations with international judicial institutions and with the countries that back the court.
