The European Parliament has awarded its 2026 Sakharov Prize to the US-sanctioned International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials, Rapporteur reported first on October 22.

Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the award in Strasbourg to a standing ovation from MEPs. "The EU is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this prize recognises the important work of the courts in upholding international law and justice," she said.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the EU's highest human rights honour, lands as Washington tries to choke off the Hague-based court, which prosecutes war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The US announced its latest sanctions in early October, hours after the Nobel Peace Prize went to former ICC judge Navi Pillay, who led the UN commission that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. The US had already cut nine judges and the chief prosecutor off from US service providers, banks included, and in August it sanctioned the trial lawyer leading the court's Palestine case.

Nearly 60 MEPs have urged the European Commission to activate the EU's blocking statute, which would bar European companies from complying with the US measures. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Parliament on October 20 that Brussels would use the coming months "to open dialogue" rather than act at once, Politico reported. Treasury has authorised a 180-day general licence, from October 9, for certain activity involving the ICC, including maintaining its operations.

The Socialists and Democrats nominated the court, hoping the prize would rally political support. "This is a message of hope and resistance sent to Donald Trump. We will stand with the ICC for as long as it takes," said French Socialist MEP Chloe Ridel, who initiated the nomination.

The court was not the favourite when group leaders met behind closed doors. In an inconclusive first round the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Europe of Sovereign Nations backed Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, while the Socialists, Renew, the Greens and the Left supported the ICC. The Patriots for Europe held out for their own nominees, Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, until they were eliminated.

In a break before the run-off between Lissu and the court, EPP leader Manfred Weber asked the ECR to win the Patriots over to the Tanzanian, according to one official. The Patriots abstained instead, handing the ICC's backers a narrow majority.

Dutch EPP lawmaker Dirk Gotink said the prize would not "save" the court but called it "a clear signal by the Parliament that it supports the institution and the importance of international law."

The court and its officials will receive the €50,000 prize in Strasbourg on December 16. Last year's award went to two jailed journalists, Mzia Amaglobeli of Georgia and Andrzej Poczobut of Belarus.