Japanese Judge Yuji Iwasawa Elected ICJ President, Set to Oversee ’Israeli’ Genocide Case

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations' top court has elected a Japanese judge as its new president to replace Nawaf Salam who resigned from the post in January to become the Lebanese prime minister.

In a statement released on Monday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Judge Yuji Iwasawa will head the Hague-based tribunal until February 5, 2027 when Salam’s term was due to expire.

Iwasawa has been a member of the ICJ since June 2018. Before joining the 15-judge court, he was professor of international law at the University of Tokyo and chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

The 70-year-old judge is the second Japanese to assume the ICJ's presidency after Hisashi Owada, who served as the tribunal's chief from 2009 to 2012.

Salam, who began his role as the ICJ head in February 2024, officially stepped down after being appointed as the Lebanese prime minister by President Joseph Aoun.

Pro-"Israel" Judge Julia Sebutinde, from Uganda, had taken over the temporary presidency of the court. 

The ICJ is currently dealing with several high-profile cases, including the genocide case against "Israel."