European Parliament names 2026 laureate
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Thursday that the International Criminal Court had won the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The award ceremony is scheduled for 16 December in Strasbourg.
The prize recognizes people or organizations working for human rights or democracy. First awarded in 1988, its previous recipients include the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the people of Ukraine and Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom movement.
Court faces US pressure
The award comes as the court, based in The Hague, faces heavy pressure from the United States. NOS reports that President Trump wants to use sanctions to disable the tribunal, while France 24 says his administration has threatened to dismantle it “brick by brick.”