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The International Criminal Court (ICC) was awarded the European Union’s 2026 Sakharov Prize, the EU’s highest human rights award, on 22 October, Reuters reported.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the award.
Named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organisations defending human rights and freedoms.
“This award comes at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges, including sanctions intended to obstruct the exercise of its judicial mandate,” the ICC said in a statement.
“It underscores the importance of continued international cooperation and support to enable the Court to fulfil its mandate independently and impartially, in the interests of justice and the victims of the most serious crimes. Without justice, there is no peace, and without law, there is no security,” the statement said.
Around two weeks before the award, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the Hague-based International Criminal Court. His campaign against the Court intensified after it issued arrest warrants in 2025 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
In October, former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, a move widely seen as a show of support for the embattled Court. Reuters noted that Trump announced sanctions against the ICC hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded.