European Parliament awards Sakharov Prize to International Criminal Court amid US sanctions pressure
The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court, giving the Hague-based tribunal a major public show of support at a time of mounting pressure from Washington. The decision was announced in Brussels and comes less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump said he would impose sanctions on the court. It is the latest sign of a widening transatlantic dispute over the ICC's work and its role in international justice.
More from 360LiveNews Opinion
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the award recognises the court's work in upholding international law and justice. The ICC said the honour mattered because its officials are facing what it described as unprecedented challenges. ICC President Tomoko Akane said the prize carried particular significance because it reaffirmed the importance of independent judicial institutions and those who work to uphold international law.
The award is the second major international recognition for the tribunal this month, after former ICC Judge Navi Pillay received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law. The court has been a target of Trump for some time, and the campaign against it intensified after it issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Washington has said the sanctions are intended to restrict the court's ability to operate.
The ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Supporters of the court say it is an essential part of the international legal system, while critics in Washington have accused it of overreach. The European Union has already signalled support for the court in response to the sanctions, which are due to take effect in six months, and has said it is ready to consider further steps.
Advert for a company owned by the publisher of 360LiveNews.
The timing of the award gives the European Parliament's decision wider political weight. It places the EU's top human rights prize directly in the middle of a dispute over multilateral institutions, judicial independence and the limits of US pressure. It also highlights the court's continuing role in cases that have drawn strong political reactions, particularly in relation to the conflict involving Israel and Gaza.
What happens next will depend on how the sanctions are implemented and whether the EU follows through on its stated support for the court. It is not yet clear how much practical protection the award will provide to the ICC or its officials. The broader confrontation between the Trump administration and the tribunal is likely to remain a live issue in the coming weeks.
#InternationalCriminalCourt #EuropeanParliament #SakharovPrize #USsanctions #RobertaMetsola
