The European Union (EU) has awarded its highest human rights honour, the Sakharov Prize, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), two weeks after US President Donald Trump vowed to dismantle the tribunal through new sanctions.
The award marks the second major international recognition for the court this month, following former ICC judge Navi Pillay receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote peace and international law, reports Al Jazeera.
Announcing the award on Thursday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the EU was built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions. She added that the prize recognised the court’s crucial role in upholding international law and justice.
The ICC thanked the European Parliament for the distinction, acknowledging that the court and its officials were facing unprecedented challenges.
ICC President Tomoko Akane said the Sakharov Prize carried particular significance at a time when independent judicial institutions and those working to enforce international law were under pressure.
The Hague-based ICC prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Trump has long targeted the tribunal, and Washington’s campaign against it escalated after the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Trump administration has vowed to dismantle the court “brick by brick” and recently announced sanctions aimed at crippling its daily operations.
In a video posted on social media when the measures were announced, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would ban transactions with the tribunal to cut off its resources. He also asserted that the United States and the American people were not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The US sanctions also target ICC judges and prosecutors, a UN special rapporteur focusing on the occupied Palestinian territories, and Palestinian rights organisations that have submitted evidence to the court.
In response, the EU has pledged support for the ICC ahead of the sanctions taking effect in six months, saying it is “ready to take any necessary measures” to ensure the tribunal can continue functioning.
Following the prize announcement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an online post that the court must be free to pursue its mission independently, without pressure or intimidation.
Officials in Brussels hope to use the six-month delay before the sanctions take effect to pursue diplomatic talks with Washington. However, EU officials said Brussels was also considering a “blocking statute” to shield the ICC from American sanctions.
