On 5 and 6 May 2026, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Tomoko Akane, paid an official visit to the Republic of Armenia. This marks the first official visit by the President of the ICC to Armenia, which has joined the Rome Statute as the 124th State Party on 1 February 2024.
The President held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr Ararat Mirzoyan, the Minister of Justice, H.E. Ms Srbuhi Galyan, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, H.E. Mr Artur Atabekyan and the Prosecutor General, H.E. Ms Anna Vardapetyan. Discussions centred around further strengthening cooperation between the Court and Armenia with a view to safeguarding the rule of law. The President also expressed her appreciation to the Armenian officials for reaffirming Armenia’s unwavering support for the ICC.
At the international forum “Yerevan Dialogue 2026”, President Akane participated in a panel discussion entitled “Beyond Geopolitical Divides: International Human Rights and Justice Institutions as Guardians of International Law”, which was dedicated to discussing means to reinforce international justice and accountability mechanisms amidst contemporary challenges. Acknowledging the challenges faced by the Court since its inception, the President underlined that “the ICC, like other institutions that underpin the rule of law, was created after years of preparatory work and as a result of the suffering of millions of innocent victims. We must cherish these institutions, as if they fall, we cannot just create replacements”. “There is no stronger demonstration of resilience than maintaining judicial processes unaffected, which can only be achieved through States’ cooperation”, added the President.
During her visit, the ICC President also participated in a flower-laying ceremony at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex.
For more information, please contact the ICC Public Affairs Unit: [email protected]. You can also follow the Court’s activities on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr
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