The European Union has awarded the International Criminal Court its Sakharov Prize, the bloc’s top human rights honour, amid an escalating campaign by the United States against the Hague-based tribunal.
The award was announced less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump vowed to dismantle the court through sanctions targeting its operations.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the prize recognised the ICC’s role in defending international law and justice.
“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,” she said.
The ICC thanked the European Parliament for the honour, saying it had come “at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges”.
Its president, Tomoko Akane, said the prize reaffirmed the importance of independent judicial institutions and those working to uphold international law.
US sanctions against the ICC
The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It has been a target of Mr Trump’s administration since the court announced arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
The US administration has said it intends to dismantle the court “brick by brick”, and recently announced sanctions intended to cripple its day-to-day operations.
“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us because our message is clear: the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said when the measures were announced.
Washington has also imposed sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors, as well as a UN special rapporteur focused on the occupied Palestinian territories and Palestinian rights groups that have supplied evidence to the court.
EU support for the court
The sanctions are due to take effect in six months. The EU has said it is ready to take “any necessary measures” to ensure the ICC can continue operating.
“The International Criminal Court must be free to pursue its mission, independently, and without pressure or intimidation,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
Brussels is seeking to use the period before the sanctions come into force to persuade Washington to withdraw them, while also considering a “blocking statute” to shield the ICC from their effects.
The Sakharov Prize is the second international recognition for the tribunal this month. Former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law.
