International Criminal Court wins the European Parliament's 2026 Sakharov Prize

The European Parliament has awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court and its officials, honouring the court’s work amid unprecedented pressure from Washington.

President Roberta Metsola announced the decision on Thursday in the parliament’s Strasbourg hemicycle. “With the award of the Sakharov prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials, the European Parliament recognises the Court’s important work in upholding international law and justice,” she said. (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20261018IPR48263/the-international-criminal-court-and-its-officials-awarded-the-sakharov-prize)

It is the second international recognition for the embattled Hague tribunal this month. The award comes within two weeks of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of sanctions against the court on 9 October — itself made hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay received the Nobel Peace Prize, widely seen as support for the court. Trump’s campaign against the ICC has escalated since it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister last year. (https://www.reuters.com/world/international-criminal-court-wins-eus-2026-sakharov-prize-2026-10-22/)

The Socialists and Democrats nominated the ICC after the October sanctions, according to Politico, and Rapporteur reports the court beat finalists Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu and Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi to the €50,000 prize, presented in Strasbourg on 16 December. (https://dailyguardian.eu/trump-sanctioned-icc-wins-eu-parliaments-human-rights-prize-politico/ | https://www.rapporteur.com/news/exclusive-icc-wins-eus-sakharov-prize/)

MEPs have repeatedly called for the EU’s “blocking statute” to shield the court from extraterritorial sanctions, describing waves of US measures since 2025 as a serious attack on the international justice system. (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20261018IPR48263/the-international-criminal-court-and-its-officials-awarded-the-sakharov-prize) The prize, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually since 1988. (https://www.reuters.com/world/international-criminal-court-wins-eus-2026-sakharov-prize-2026-10-22/)