Targeted by Trump, ICC wins Europe’s top human rights prize

• The International Criminal Court won the EU’s Sakharov Prize, a top human rights award, as the European Parliament backed its work on international law and justice.
• The award comes after US sanctions aimed at crippling the ICC. US President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle the court “brick by brick”.
• The ICC beat finalists from Tanzania and Iran, and the EU has said it is “ready to take any necessary measures” to keep the court working.

BRUSSELS – Facing US sanctions, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was on Oct 22 awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize in a show of support that risks upsetting US President Donald Trump.

“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,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in announcing the award.

The ICC thanked the European Parliament for giving it the Sakharov Prize “at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges”.

“Against this backdrop, the Sakharov Prize carries particular significance, reaffirming the importance of independent judicial institutions and of those who work to uphold international law,” ICC President Tomoko Akane said.

Earlier in October, the United States announced sanctions against the ICC aimed at crippling the day-to-day operations of the court, which tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Trump’s administration has vowed to dismantle the court “brick by brick”, furious that judges have issued an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes in Gaza.

The win comes after after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a choice Trump slammed as “disgraceful”, arguing the award should have gone to him.

The EU has already thrown its support behind the ICC in the face of the US sanctions, which will come into force in six months, and has said it is “ready to take any necessary measures” to make sure the court can keep working.

Set up in 1988 and named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize is bestowed annually on individuals or organisations to recognise their fight for human rights or democracy.

Three finalists

The ICC was among three finalists, alongside Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu and twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, representing those prosecuted by the Iranian government.

The nominees are put forward by the political groupings in the EU, and the winner is chosen by senior lawmakers. An award ceremony will be held in December.

Lissu, head of Tanzania’s opposition Chadema party, was detained in April 2025. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of treason for allegedly inciting the public to boycott elections last year.

Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, 21, have respectively been sentenced to death and 36 years in prison for having taken part in anti-government protests in Iran.

Other recent high-profile winners of the Sakharov prize have been Venezuelan opposition chief Maria Corina Machado, deceased Russian Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the people of Ukraine.. AFP