The Sakharov Prize awarded to the International Criminal Court and its judges

The International Criminal Court and its judges have been awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The decision was taken this morning in Strasbourg by the Conference of Presidents of the political groups in the European Parliament. The nomination of the Hague-based institution, which has been hit by Donald Trump’s sanctions, was put forward by the Group of Socialists and Democrats.

The decision comes in the midst of the clash between Washington and the Court. On 9 October, the US administration announced new sanctions against the Hague-based institution, just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to former South African judge Navi Pillay, whilst Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to dismantle it “brick by brick”. It is also in response to this pressure that the Court’s nomination for the Sakharov Prize has garnered support from the left and the centrists of Renew Europe.

The other finalists were Tundu Lissu, the Tanzanian opposition leader who has been detained since April 2025, supported by the People’s Party and the Conservatives, and the Iranian twins Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, who were imprisoned following the anti-government protests in January and nominated by Patriots for Europe. The award, named after the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, will be presented in December in Strasbourg.