August 28, 2026
National Confederation of Trade Unions
Secretary-General Kenji Kugo

On August 18, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions against Judge Tomoko Akane, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Chief Prosecutor Abdoulaye Cissé (Senegal). As a result of these sanctions, nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, two deputy prosecutors, one former prosecutor, and one staff member are now subject to U.S. sanctions. National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) strongly condemns this series of sanctions, which seek to undermine the rule of law by force and whitewash war crimes.

As soon as it became clear that Israel—which has committed repeated violations of international law—would face prosecution, the Trump administration in the United States began targeting international criminal justice institutions, including the ICC. The ICC is an international criminal justice body established following the devastation of two world wars, based on the principle that it is necessary to hold individuals criminally accountable for specific grave crimes—such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression—that undermine the shared values of the international community.

In recent years, in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for the Russian president in connection with the military invasion of Ukraine, Russia issued arrest warrants for the ICC’s prosecutor and judges. Furthermore, in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister regarding genocide in Gaza Strip, the United States has imposed measures such as entry bans on ICC staff members. These retaliatory measures against the ICC—including the recent sanctions imposed by the United States—constitute unjustified interference with the independence of an international judicial body operating under international law. They not only restrict the activities of individual ICC staff members but also risk bringing the ICC’s overall international criminal justice operations to a standstill. There is a danger that serious crimes will go unaddressed, war crimes will go unpunished, and the rule of law will be undermined—a situation that cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.

Zenroren defends human rights and democracy, strives for a peaceful and just society free from war, and is working toward these goals in partnership with labor unions around the world. Achieving social progress and peace through the realization of decent work is a strong demand from Japanese workers, rooted in reflection on the devastation inflicted upon the working classes of Asia and Japan by past wars of aggression. To protest the rule of force and realize the rule of law, ZENROREN calls on the Japanese government to strongly protest to the U.S. government against its attacks on the ICC through threats and sanctions, and to widely appeal to the international community regarding the vital importance of the ICC’s existence.

The crisis of the rule of law is not a problem confined to some distant part of the world. Even within Japan, is there not a growing tendency to accept a “strong nation” as the ideal, under the assumption that “justice by force” is the quickest path? Zenroren—which aims to achieve workers’ demands not by bowing to capital or management, but by connecting workers through dialogue and mutual learning with colleagues in the workplace and local communities, and by raising their voices and taking action—will continue to advance its movement from the perspective of workers and citizens to realize the rule of law in Japan and around the world.

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