EU awards Sakharov Prize to International Criminal Court in rebuke of US sanctions

Oct 23, 12:17 AM2 min readCovered by 5 outlets

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The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to the ICC, signaling opposition to U.S. sanctions and support for international justice.

The European Parliament has awarded the International Criminal Court its top human rights prize in a show of support as the court faces sanctions from the Trump administration.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on Thursday. Metsola stated the award recognizes the court's role in upholding international law, noting that the European Union is built on respect for multilateralism. The ICC, based in the Hague, expressed gratitude for the recognition during what it described as a period of unprecedented challenges.

The selection process involved a deadlock between political factions in the parliament. According to Euronews, the ICC was chosen over Tanzanian lawyer Tundu Lissu and Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi after an abstention by Kinga Gál, co-leader of the Patriots for Europe group, allowed a relative majority to be reached. French MEP Chloé Ridel, who nominated the ICC, called the decision a message of hope and resistance sent to U.S. President Donald Trump.

The award comes after the U.S. government announced new sanctions against the court earlier this month. EUobserver reported that these measures followed the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge who authored a UN report on Gaza. The U.S. had previously sanctioned judges after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 for alleged war crimes.

ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane told EUobserver that the prize underscores the necessity of independent support for the court to carry out its mandate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the ICC must be able to pursue justice for victims of the world's gravest crimes without facing intimidation or pressure.

Background

The Sakharov Prize was established in 1988 to honor defenders of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The ICC was founded in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, but has faced criticism from Washington regarding investigations into U.S. troops in Afghanistan.