The award came less than two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the court.
Published October 22, 2026
The European Union has awarded the International Criminal Court (ICC) its highest human rights award, two weeks after US President Donald Trump vowed to dismantle it with new sanctions.
Thursday’s Sakharov Prize was the second international recognition of the war crimes tribunal this month, with former ICC judge Navi Pillay receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting peace and international law.
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“The European Union is built on multilateralism and respect for international institutions, and this award recognizes the Court’s important work in upholding international law and justice,” said Roberta Mezzola, President of the European Parliament, when announcing the award.
The ICC expressed its gratitude to the European Parliament for this honor “at a time when the Court and its authorities are facing unprecedented challenges.”
ICC President Tomoko Akane said, “Given this background, the Sakharov Prize has special significance as it reaffirms the importance of independent judiciary institutions and those who work to protect international law.”
The Hague-based ICC has long been a target of Trump, and his campaign against it has intensified since the court announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Job Gallant in 2024.
“Brick by brick”
The Trump administration has vowed to dismantle the court “brick by brick” and recently announced sanctions aimed at disrupting daily operations. The ICC tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
“We will prohibit doing business with this corrupt court, cut off their resources, and cripple their ability to fight against us, because our message is clear: America and its people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video posted on social media when the sanctions were announced.
The US government also sanctioned the ICC judges and prosecutors, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur, who focuses on the occupied Palestinian territories and Palestinian rights groups that submitted evidence to the court.
EU supports ICC
In the face of U.S. sanctions scheduled to take effect in six months, the EU has already expressed its support for the ICC, saying it is “ready to take all necessary measures” to ensure the court’s continued functioning.
“The International Criminal Court must be able to carry out its mission independently and freely, without pressure or intimidation,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after the award was announced.
Brussels hopes to use the delay before imposing sanctions to persuade the United States, but EU officials say it is also considering enacting a “blocking law” to protect the ICC from the United States.
