International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan said on Wednesday she "won't give up" even if US sanctions against her escalate to target her organisation itself.
Washington sanctioned Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal last week as part of the Trump administration's campaign against what it calls a "corrupt and fatally politicised" body.
Speaking remotely to reporters in Tokyo, Akane said that sanctions against her, for now, have resulted in her credit card access being blocked.
But she said that "even if sanctions against the ICC itself are added, we won't give up".
"A permanent body like the ICC must never be shut down. We must not let it be shut down. We will resist with all our might," she said.
Akane's remarks come a day after Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi defended her government's condemnation of the US sanctions as "very unfortunate", brushing off criticism of a "weak" response.
"As the ICC's biggest funder, we must protect such an important organisation," Takaichi told reporters on Tuesday, adding that Japan will "engage when and where necessary".
Washington's latest move follows sanctions it imposed on several ICC officials, seen as largely in response to the court's investigations involving Israel, a US ally.
Akane, in her Wednesday news conference, expressed hope for action from Takaichi's government.
"I hope Japan will reach out to less powerful member countries that might succumb to the US pressure to leave (the ICC), and encourage them to stick together," Akane said.
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries do not have adequate legal systems to ensure accountability.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Akane and Seye of carrying out actions against "officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction", without providing examples.
The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified the treaty. Israel, Russia and China are not ICC members either.
Despite the latest US sanctions, Akane said she feels more invigorated than ever.
"Judges in the past who were similarly sanctioned also struggled, but they never lost passion for their jobs or complained they wanted to quit," she said.
"I want to follow their example."
