US-sanctioned ICC wins Sakharov Prize, EU’s top human rights award

The prize comes less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the court.

Al Jazeera2026-10-22 22:25查看原文 ↗

The prize comes less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the court.

The International Criminal Court has been facing increased pressure from the Trump administration [File: Eva Plevier/Reuters]

The European Union has awarded the International Criminal Court (ICC) its top human rights award, two weeks after US President Donald Trump vowed to dismantle the court through new sanctions .

Thursday’s Sakharov Prize is the second international recognition for the war crimes tribunal this month, with former ICC Judge Navi Pillay awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote peace and international law.

list 1 of 4 Who is Navi Pillay, winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?

list 2 of 4 Why is the US sanctioning the International Criminal Court?

list 3 of 4 Why is the Trump administration trying to dismantle the ICC?

list 4 of 4 How the ICC can be saved

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

The ICC thanked the European Parliament for the honour “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.

The Hague-based ICC has long been a target of Trump, whose campaign against it has escalated since the court announced in 2024 arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The Trump administration has promised to dismantle the court “brick by brick”, recently announcing sanctions aimed at crippling its day-to-day operations. The ICC tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us because our message is clear: the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video posted on social media when the sanctions were announced.

Washington has also sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors, as well as a UN special rapporteur focusing on the occupied Palestinian territories and Palestinian rights groups that have provided evidence to the court.

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

“The International Criminal Court must be free to pursue its mission, independently, and without pressure or intimidation,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen posted online after the prize was announced.

Brussels is hoping to use the delay before the sanctions are applied to try to talk the US down, but according to EU officials is also eyeing implementing a “blocking statute” to shield the ICC from Washington.

就在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普宣布对该法院实施制裁不到两周后，该奖项便颁发给了美国。

国际刑事法院正面临来自特朗普政府日益增长的压力。[图片：Eva Plevier/路透社]

欧盟授予国际刑事法院（ICC）最高人权奖，而就在两周前，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普誓言要通过新的制裁措施解散该法院。

周四的萨哈罗夫奖是本月国际刑事法庭获得的第二个国际认可，此前国际刑事法院前法官纳维·皮莱因其在促进和平与国际法方面的工作而获得诺贝尔和平奖。

列表 1/4：2026 年诺贝尔和平奖得主纳维·皮莱是谁？

列表 2/4：美国为何制裁国际刑事法院？

问题 3（共 4 个）：为什么特朗普政府试图解散国际刑事法院？

列表 4（共 4 条）如何拯救国际刑事法院

“欧盟建立在尊重多边主义和国际机构的基础上，该奖项是对法院在维护国际法和正义方面所做重要工作的认可，”欧洲议会议长罗伯塔·梅特索拉在宣布该奖项时表示。

国际刑事法院感谢欧洲议会授予该荣誉，“此时法院及其官员正面临前所未有的挑战”。

“在此背景下，萨哈罗夫奖具有特殊的意义，它重申了独立司法机构和致力于维护国际法的人们的重要性，”国际刑事法院院长茜智子说。

总部位于海牙的国际刑事法院长期以来一直是特朗普的目标，自该法院于 2024 年宣布对以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡及其前国防部长约阿夫·加兰特发出逮捕令以来，特朗普针对该法院的行动不断升级。