STRASBOURG — The International Criminal Court won this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament, according to two people familiar with the decision.
The prize, worth €50,000, pays tribute to defenders of human rights and freedom of thought, including Nelson Mandela, Alexei Navalny, Belarusian journalists and the Ukrainian people.
The Socialists and Democrats group named the ICC following the sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump against the Court, announced on October 9.
“We support the ICC and its officials, and we are committed to safeguarding their work. We must ensure that the ICC is able to operate independently, without external pressure or interference,” S&D Vice-President Yannis Maniatis said in early October. “This is a grassroots organization, not a political one. If aggressors become victims and we remain powerless in the face of the erosion of international justice, we risk allowing those who believe they are above the law to prevail.”
The prize is named in honor of Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet physicist and political dissident. Shortlisted candidates are traditionally invited to Parliament’s awards ceremony, which takes place during the December plenary session in Strasbourg.
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