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Russia seeks extradition of ICC President Tomoko Akane from the Netherlands

Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has formally requested that the Netherlands extradite International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane, and sent similar requests to other countries for eight additional ICC figures, including former Prosecutor Karim Khan. The move is the latest escalation in Russia's confrontation with the ICC following its March 2023 arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children, and comes alongside US sanctions on the court.

Key points

  • Russia's Prosecutor General's Office requested the Netherlands extradite ICC President Tomoko Akane.
  • Similar extradition requests were sent to other countries for eight further ICC figures, including former Prosecutor Karim Khan.
  • On 17 March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children.
  • Russia's Investigative Committee and Ministry of Internal Affairs opened criminal cases against ICC Prosecutor Khan, judges Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez, Haykel Ben Mahfoud, Akane and other officials.
  • On 12 December 2025, Moscow City Court sentenced nine ICC representatives in absentia to prison terms of 3.5 to 15 years.
  • The United States sanctioned Akane and ICC Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in August, with broader measures against the ICC reported in September.
  • Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Tokyo views Russia's measures against ICC officials as unfair and unacceptable.

Why it matters

The extradition requests signal a sharp escalation in Russia's campaign against the ICC, targeting not just former officials but the court's sitting president. They follow in absentia convictions and criminal cases against ICC judges and prosecutors, adding legal pressure in Russia to the existing US sanctions on the court. The combined Russian and American pressure underscores a widening challenge to the ICC's authority to pursue cases in Ukraine and elsewhere.

What happened

Russia's Prosecutor General's Office sent a formal request to the Netherlands seeking the extradition of ICC President Tomoko Akane, according to The Japan Times. Similar requests were sent to other states for the handover of eight further ICC figures, among them former Prosecutor Karim Khan. The requests are part of a broader Russian campaign that began after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on 17 March 2023 over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Russia's Investigative Committee and Ministry of Internal Affairs opened criminal cases against Khan, judges Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez and Haykel Ben Mahfoud, Akane and other ICC officials under articles dealing with "bringing a knowingly innocent person to criminal liability" and "attacking a representative of a foreign state." Russian courts issued in absentia arrest warrants for the judges and placed them on international wanted lists, as the ICC moved to issue new warrants, including against former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. On 12 December 2025, Moscow City Court sentenced nine current and former ICC representatives in absentia to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 15 years.

How international sources describe it

Japanese officials have publicly pushed back against Russia's campaign against the ICC. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Tokyo has repeatedly told Moscow that measures against ICC-related persons are unfair and unacceptable, and is considering further protests. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan consistently supports the ICC as part of upholding the rule of law.

Background

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova on 17 March 2023 over the unlawful deportation of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia. Putin could theoretically be arrested in the 123 states that have ratified the Rome Statute; Mongolia, a signatory, did not arrest him during his September 2024 visit. The United States imposed sanctions on Akane and ICC Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in August, with broader sanctions against the entire court reported in September, in connection with the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes by US military personnel in Afghanistan.