Parliament honors the court
Lawmakers gave a standing ovation when European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the winner in Strasbourg, France. The prize is the European Union's highest human rights honor.
"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," Metsola said.
The decision came down to the ICC and two other finalists: imprisoned Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu and Iranian twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi. Euronews reported that an abstention by the far-right Patriots for Europe group broke a deadlock among Parliament's political group leaders, avoiding a runoff between Lissu and the court.
Sanctions target the court's operations
The Trump administration's campaign against the Hague-based tribunal centers on its investigations into the United States and its allies, including Israel. The latest sanctions were announced on October 9, 2026.
According to the Associated Press, the measures bar the ICC from using U.S. dollars or accessing American financial services and technology companies. U.S. companies and individuals doing business with the court have six months to end those dealings.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would "ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us." He also said that "the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC."
The ICC began operating in 2002. It serves as a court of last resort for prosecuting senior leaders deemed responsible for offenses that its founding treaty says "deeply shock the conscience of humanity." Its jurisdiction covers genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
EU weighs its response
EU leaders called for Washington to reverse the sanctions in a statement following their summit the week before the award announcement. They said the 27-member bloc "deeply regrets" the measures and argued that the six-month delay "creates space for diplomacy." If diplomacy fails, they said, they are prepared to "take all necessary measures."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had called the threat of sanctions "not acceptable" on October 9 and reiterated the bloc's commitment to international law. Despite those objections, Euronews reported that the EU had taken no concrete action by the time the prize was announced.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added her support after the announcement, posting online: "The International Criminal Court must be free to pursue its mission, independently, and without pressure or intimidation."
Philippe Dam, Human Rights Watch's EU advocacy director, urged governments belonging to the ICC to defend it, saying the award "should be a rallying cry." He also called on the European Commission to "urgently activate the EU's blocking statute" to shield the court and those supporting its work from the effects of U.S. sanctions.
A second recognition this month
Al Jazeera described the Sakharov award as the ICC's second international recognition in October. Earlier in the month, former ICC judge Navi Pillay received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law.
Established in 1988, the annual Sakharov Prize recognizes people and groups defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. It bears the name of Andrei Sakharov, the Soviet dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Previous recipients include Nelson Mandela and Alexei Navalny. Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad are among the Sakharov laureates who later received the Nobel Peace Prize. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the Sakharov Prize in 2024.
