The EU awarded its top human rights prize to the International Criminal Court Thursday, defying U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently hit the war crimes tribunal with sweeping sanctions.
"The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions and this prize recognizes the important work of the court in upholding international law and justice," said Roberta Metsola, chief of the European Parliament, 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," said Tomoko Akane, president of the ICC.
This month, the United States announced sanctions against the ICC aimed at crippling the day-to-day operations of the court, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has vowed to dismantle the court "brick by brick," furious that judges have issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, for war crimes in Gaza.
The win comes after former ICC judge Navi Pillay, who also served as U.N. human rights chief, received the Nobel Peace Prize this month. U.S. President Donald Trump slammed the choice as "disgraceful," arguing the award should have gone to him.
The EU has already thrown its support behind the ICC in the face of U.S. 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 continue working.
"The International Criminal Court must be free to pursue its mission independently and without pressure or intimidation," said Ursula von der Leyen, chief of the EU, after the prize was announced.
Brussels hopes to use the delay before the sanctions are applied to try to persuade the U.S. to reconsider, but it is also considering implementing a "blocking statute" to shield the ICC from Washington.
Three nominees
Established in 1988 and named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize is bestowed annually on individuals or organizations to recognize their fight for human rights and democracy.
The ICC was among three finalists this year, alongside Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader, and twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, who represent those prosecuted by the Iranian government.
The nominees are nominated by the political groups 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 on April 9, 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 been sentenced, respectively, to death and 36 years in prison for taking part in anti-government protests in Iran.
Other recent high-profile winners of the Sakharov Prize have been Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition chief; the late Russian Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the people of Ukraine.