一群曾师从国际刑事法院（ICC）院长赤根智子的律师向日本政府提交了一份拥有超过17万个签名的请愿书，要求其采取行动促使美国解除对她的制裁。
A group of lawyers who studied under International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane have submitted a petition with over 170,000 signatures to the Japanese government, demanding it take action to get U.S. sanctions against her lifted.
代表该团体的植松健太郎在记者会上表示：“日本与美国保持着信任关系，可以在维护国际刑事法院独立性方面发挥作用。”请愿书于周四提交给了内阁官房副长官尾崎诚尚。
“Japan, which maintains a relationship of trust with the United States, can play a role in safeguarding the ICC’s independence,” Kentaro Uematsu, who represents the group, told a news conference. The petition was submitted to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki on Thursday.
该团体成员曾在赤根智子担任名古屋大学法学院教授时师从她学习。
Members of the group studied under Akane when she was professor at Nagoya University’s School of Law.
提交请愿书时在场的律师岛本洋介表示，尾崎告诉该团体，政府已明确向华盛顿传达了对国际刑事法院的支持。这些签名是在约一个月内通过网络收集的。
Lawyer Yosuke Shamoto, who was present when the petition was submitted, said Ozaki told the group that the government had clearly conveyed to Washington its support for the ICC. The signatures were collected online in about a month.
据该团体透露，赤根智子表示感谢，称虽然个人看似渺小，但绝非无能为力。植松表示：“我们打算采取力所能及的具体步骤。”
According to the group, Akane expressed her gratitude, saying that although individuals may seem small on their own, they are by no means powerless. “We intend to take concrete steps within our reach,“ Uematsu said.