ICC wins EU’s top human rights prize weeks after Trump sanctions

BRUSSELS – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been awarded the European Union’s 2026 Sakharov Prize, the EU’s top prize regarding human rights work.The prize is the second international recognition for the war crimes tribunal in October, and comes within two weeks after US President Donald Trump announced sanctions against the court.That announcement was made hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which was widely seen as a show of support for the embattled court.The Hague-based ICC has long been a target of US President Donald Trump, whose campaign against it has escalated since the court announced arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister in 2025.The EU prize, named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organisations defending human rights and freedoms. REUTERS