TOKYO: The International Criminal Court is considering establishing an Asian regional hub office in Tokyo, President Tomoko Akane told a press conference in the Japanese capital Wednesday.

The new office is expected to focus on public relations.

Akane was elected president of The Hague-based court in March for the first time as a Japanese national, after serving in posts including at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office.

At the press conference, she emphasized that the ICC makes every decision based on the rule of law, resisting any political pressure.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 following his country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In May this year, the ICC’s chief prosecutor applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his country’s fighting with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

At the press conference, Akane did not discuss these developments.

On Wednesday, the ICC and Keio University inked a basic agreement on internship. Akane delivered a speech at the major private university.

JIJI Press