The International Criminal Court wins Sakharov Prize

The European Parliament has awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials.

This is stated on the EP website.

As the European Parliament stressed, ICC investigates the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and, where there are grounds, tries those accused of committing them. These include genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

The award recognizes the work of ICC, including investigations, prosecutions, trials, and the issuance or authorization of arrest warrants.

In their 2025 reports, MEPs expressed concern about the increasing pressure on ICC and the sanctions that will be imposed on the court, in particular by the United States, from 2025. The restrictions also apply to its prosecutors, judges, staff and partners. The European Parliament considers this a serious attack on international justice.

MEPs have repeatedly called on the European Commission to invoke the so-called EU blocking regulation to protect ICC officials from extraterritorial prosecution and ensure that the court can continue to work fully independently.

How the US is pressuring the International Criminal Court

The Donald Trump administrationʼs dissatisfaction with the work of ICC arose during his first presidential term, when the court tried to investigate alleged war crimes by American soldiers in Afghanistan.

The United States, which is not a party to ICC, also criticized it for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for war crimes committed during Israelʼs operations in Gaza. In February 2025, the second Trump administration imposed sanctions on the institution.

In August 2026, the US imposed sanctions against ICC head Tomoko Akane and several officials, and in October, new sanctions against ICC itself.

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