International Criminal Court wins EU's Sakharov Prize
The European Parliament gave its top human rights award to the Hague-based court, which is under US sanctions, ahead of jailed Tanzanian and Iranian activists.
The International Criminal Court has won this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union's top human rights award. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the decision in Strasbourg on Thursday, saying the prize recognised the court's work in upholding international law and justice and that the EU itself was built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions.
The court, set up in The Hague in 2002, prosecutes the gravest crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It has been placed under sanctions by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which accuses it of political bias, after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
ICC President Tomoko Akane said the award came at a time when the court and its officials face unprecedented challenges, including sanctions designed to disrupt its judicial work.
The other two finalists were the jailed Tanzanian lawyer and opposition leader Tundu Lissu and the imprisoned Iranian twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi. The prize is named after the Soviet dissident and Nobel peace laureate Andrei Sakharov.