After Trump's sanctions: the European Union awards a prize to the International Criminal Court in The Hague
The European Union awarded the International Criminal Court in The Hague the Sakharov Prize for 2026, hours after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the court. The prize was given against the backdrop of arrest warrants issued by the court against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant.
The European Union awarded the International Criminal Court in The Hague the Sakharov Prize for 2026, the EU's most prestigious human rights award. The announcement of the prize was made just hours after the Trump administration announced the imposition of sanctions against the court. The Sakharov Prize, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organizations working to protect human rights. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on the court following the issuance of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as investigations into the activities of American soldiers in Afghanistan. The sanctions were designed to prevent private companies, banks, insurance firms, and technology corporations from providing services to the court.