ICC wins EU’s top rights award as court faces sweeping US sanctions

STRASBOURG, France — Facing US sanctions, the International Criminal Court was on Thursday awarded the European Union’s top rights prize, in a show of support that risks upsetting US President Donald Trump.

“The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this prize recognizes the important work of the court in upholding international law and justice,” said European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola in announcing the award.

The ICC thanked the European Parliament for giving it the Sakharov Prize “at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges.”

“Against this backdrop, the Sakharov Prize carries particular significance, reaffirming the importance of independent judicial institutions and of those who work to uphold international law,” ICC President Tomoko Akane said.

This month, the United States announced sanctions against the ICC aimed at crippling the day-to-day operations of the court, which tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Trump’s administration has vowed to dismantle the court “brick-by-brick,” furious an arrest warrant its judges issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged crimes in the war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza, and a past investigation into actions of US soldiers in Afghanistan that the ICC has since closed.

The win comes after ex-ICC judge Navi Pillay, who also served as UN rights chief, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this month — a choice Trump slammed as “disgraceful,” arguing the award should have gone to him.

The EU has already thrown its support behind the ICC in the face of the US sanctions — which will come into force in six months — and has said it is “ready to take any necessary measures” to make sure the court can keep working.

“The International Criminal Court must be free to pursue its mission, independently, and without pressure or intimidation,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after the prize was announced.

Brussels is hoping to use the delay before the sanctions are applied to try to talk the US down, but is also eyeing implementing a “blocking statute” to shield the ICC from Washington.

Three finalists

Established in 1988 and named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize is bestowed annually on individuals or organizations to recognize their fight for human rights or democracy.

The ICC was among three finalists this year, alongside Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu and twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, representing those prosecuted by the Iranian government.

The nominees are put forward by the political groupings in the EU, and the winner was chosen by senior lawmakers. An award ceremony will be held in December.

Lissu, head of Tanzania’s opposition Chadema party, was detained in April 2025. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of treason for allegedly inciting the public to boycott elections last year.

Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, 21, have respectively been sentenced to death and 36 years in prison for having taken part in anti-government protests in Iran.

⭐️ | Our nominees, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, have made it to the final three for the 2026 Sakharov Prize!

The Patriots Group stands with the Iranian people against their repressive Islamic regime. We will keep ensuring that their voices for freedom and democracy are heard in… pic.twitter.com/N4GVuiweMH

— Patriots for Europe (@PatriotsEP) October 20, 2026

Other recent high-profile winners of the Sakharov Prize have been Venezuelan opposition chief Maria Corina Machado, deceased Russian Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the people of Ukraine.