EU Parliament awards Sakharov Prize to ICC in rebuke of US sanctions
The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court in a show of support after the US imposed sanctions on the court. The abstention of the far-right Patriots for Europe group was decisive in breaking the deadlock over the final choice.
The European Parliament on Thursday awarded the International Criminal Court (ICC) the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, signalling opposition to US sanctions threatening the court’s work.
The annual prize recognises individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Past laureates include South African leader Nelson Mandela and Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
US President Donald Trump’s administration announced sanctions against the ICC on 9 October, following repeated criticism of its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its investigation into the conduct of US troops in Afghanistan.
“This is a message of hope and resistance sent to Donald Trump. We will not abandon the rule of law and international justice. We will stand with the ICC for as long as it takes,” said French MEP Chloé Ridel, who nominated the court.
Parliament’s political group leaders chose the ICC over two other shortlisted candidates: Tanzanian lawyer Tundu Lissu, who faces political persecution, and Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, nominated on behalf of those persecuted by Iran’s authorities.
The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group put forward the ICC and its officials, with other political groups eventually backing the nomination. The decision surprised some insiders, who had expected Lissu to win.
According to sources present at the meeting, the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE) group played an instrumental role in determining the final outcome.
Initially, the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) supported their candidate, Lissu.
Meanwhile, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) had the backing of Renew Europe, the Greens/EFA and The Left in support of the ICC. PfE co-leader Kinga Gál, however, continued to advocate for Taraneh and Romina Rahimi.
These competing positions resulted in a deadlock, with neither candidate securing the majority required to win. Under Parliament’s rules, the impasse would have led to a runoff between the two candidates with the strongest support: Tundu Lissu and the ICC.
Gál ultimately prevented this outcome by abstaining, allowing the ICC’s supporters to secure a relative majority.
Last week, MEPs from across the political spectrum urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to protect the Netherlands-based court from US sanctions.
They called for the use of “all instruments at our disposal”, particularly the EU’s Blocking Statute, which shields European companies and individuals from the effects of certain foreign sanctions.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the threat of sanctions against the ICC as “not acceptable” on 9 October, reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to international law. The EU has yet to take concrete action.
International Criminal Court wins EU's Sakharov human rights prize
Strasbourg (AFP) – 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 President Donald Trump.
Issued on: 22/10/2026 - RFI
"The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this prize recognises 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 that judges have issued an arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes in Gaza.
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
Set up in 1988 and named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize is bestowed annually on individuals or organisations to recognise 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 is 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.
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.
Issued on: 21/10/2026 -
In an interview with FRANCE 24, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay described the US sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) hours after her award as "a shock" and "unacceptable". The South African judge also defended the UN commission of inquiry she chaired, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza: "We didn't come to that conclusion lightly." Rejecting claims that the ICC targets Africa, she said "the court is not selective".
READ MOREIsrael a rare dissenting voice as praise pours in for Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay
Just hours after Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Trump administration imposed sweeping sanctions on the ICC, having already targeted the court's key personnel.
READ MOREInternational Criminal Court faces 'test of resilience' as US imposes sweeping sanctions
Speaking to FRANCE 24 from The Hague, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who sat as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, called the move "a violation of the international rule of law".
"It's unacceptable for politicians to interfere in the work of judges, in the judiciary," Pillay said, adding that she had travelled to The Hague to show "solidarity" with the ICC's staff.
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