STRASBOURG — The International Criminal Court won the European Union's 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on Thursday, with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announcing the award to a standing ovation in Strasbourg. It is the second international honour for the war crimes tribunal this month — and it lands as the court faces US sanctions on the institution, its judges, prosecutors and staff.
What did the European Parliament announce?
Metsola made the announcement at the Strasbourg plenary on Thursday. "The EU is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions," she told MEPs, adding: "And this prize recognises the important work of the court in upholding international law and justice." The chamber responded with a standing ovation, Reuters reported.
Named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the prize has been awarded every year since 1988 to individuals and organisations defending human rights and freedoms. Thursday's decision puts the court itself — the institution and its officials — at the centre of Europe's biggest human rights honour.
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A surprise win: how the vote played out
When Parliament's political group leaders met behind closed doors on Thursday morning, the ICC was considered unlikely to win. In the inconclusive first round, three right-wing groups — the European People's Party, the European Conservatives and Reformists, and Europe of Sovereign Nations — backed Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, while a left coalition of the Socialists and Democrats, Renew, the Greens and The Left backed the court and the Patriots for Europe stuck with the Iranian twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi.
With the Patriots' nominee eliminated, the final vote became a Lissu-versus-ICC showdown — and the Patriots abstained rather than backing the Tanzanian activist, handing a narrow majority to the court's supporters, Rapporteur reported, citing officials.
The nomination had come from the Socialists and Democrats. Chloé Ridel, the French socialist MEP who initiated it, called the result "historic". "This is a message of hope and resistance sent to Donald Trump," she told Rapporteur. "We will stand with the ICC for as long as it takes." Dutch EPP lawmaker Dirk Gotink called it "a clear signal by the Parliament that it supports the institution and the importance of international law."
Why now: US sanctions are squeezing the court
The award lands in the middle of the most serious confrontation between the court and Washington in its history. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on the ICC as an institution on October 9, escalating earlier measures against its judges, prosecutors and staff, EU Reporter reported. Rapporteur reported that Washington's latest measures came in early October, hours after the Nobel Peace Prize went to Navi Pillay, one of the court's former judges.
Pillay, who served as an ICC judge from 2003 to 2008, links the court's two October honours: her Nobel was widely seen as a show of support for the embattled court, Reuters reported, and the institutional sanctions followed within days. Trump's campaign against the court has run since 2024, when it announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister.
Court President Tomoko Akane said the "unprecedented challenges" facing the ICC made Thursday's prize all the more significant. "It underscores the importance of continued international cooperation and support to enable the court to carry out its mandate independently and impartially, in the service of justice and the victims of the gravest crimes," she said.
Why it matters
Brussels is treating the prize as more than symbolism. The Socialists and Democrats have renewed their demand that the European Commission activate the EU's blocking statute to shield the court's officials from the extraterritorial reach of US sanctions — a step that would turn the Parliament's moral signal into a legal one.
"This is a victory for international justice, a defeat for autocrats, and a powerful reminder that accountability matters," said S&D president Iratxe García Pérez. "The next step is clear: activate the Blocking Statute." S&D vice-president Yannis Maniatis said the award showed that "no one is above the law" and that justice must never "surrender to intimidation or political pressure."
The prize carries €50,000. The ICC and its officials will collect it in Strasbourg on December 16, at the last plenary session of the year, Rapporteur reported.
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What happens next?
December 16 is the date to watch: the award ceremony in Strasbourg will be the EU's formal, public embrace of a court Washington is trying to cripple. Until then, the real test is whether the European Commission acts on the blocking-statute demand or lets the prize stay symbolic. If Brussels moves to shield the court legally, Thursday's vote will be remembered as the moment the EU chose a side.
Related reading: see our coverage of Trump's South Carolina rally, the US Supreme Court's block on Trump's transgender prison care ban, and Zelenskyy's charge that Trump is pressuring Ukraine to capitulate.
Key Takeaways
- The European Parliament awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court and its officials on October 22.
- President Roberta Metsola announced the decision in Strasbourg to a standing ovation; the €50,000 prize will be presented on December 16.
- The win was a surprise: after an inconclusive first round, the Patriots for Europe abstained in the final vote, giving the ICC a narrow majority over Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
- The award follows the Trump administration's October 9 institutional sanctions on the ICC and former judge Navi Pillay's Nobel Peace Prize win.
- The Socialists and Democrats are demanding the European Commission activate the EU's blocking statute to counter the US sanctions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sakharov Prize?
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the European Union's highest honour for human rights work. Named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, it has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organisations defending human rights and freedoms.
Who announced the 2026 award and when?
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the winner on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the Strasbourg plenary. She said the prize recognises the court's important work in upholding international law and justice, and the chamber answered with a standing ovation.
Who were the other finalists?
The finalists were Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, backed by the EPP, ECR and Europe of Sovereign Nations, and the Iranian twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, nominated by the Patriots for Europe. The Patriots' nominee was eliminated before the final vote.
How did the final vote play out?
Political group leaders voted behind closed doors. After an inconclusive first round, the final vote came down to Lissu versus the ICC — and the Patriots for Europe abstained rather than backing Lissu, handing the court's supporters a narrow majority.
What US sanctions does the ICC face?
The Trump administration sanctioned the ICC as an institution on October 9, 2026, escalating earlier measures against its judges, prosecutors and staff. The pressure has run since 2024, when the court issued arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and his former defence minister.
When does the ICC receive the prize?
The ICC and its officials will receive the €50,000 award in Strasbourg on December 16, at the year's last plenary session of the European Parliament.
Sources
- Reuters (via KRRO), "International Criminal Court wins EU's 2026 Sakharov prize," October 22, 2026 (published 10:08 UTC, updated 11:49 UTC) — full report
- Rapporteur, "EXCLUSIVE: ICC wins EU's Sakharov Prize," October 22, 2026 — full report
- EU Reporter, "European Parliament awards Sakharov Prize to International Criminal Court amid US sanctions," October 22, 2026 — full report