The Sakharov Prize for 2026 was awarded to the International Criminal Court and its officials.

The Sakharov Prize for 2026 was awarded to the International Criminal Court and its officials.

The Sakharov Prize for the release of Andisha in 2026 was awarded jointly to the International Criminal Court and its officials.

Roberta Matsula, President of the European Parliament, in a speech in this Parliament on Thursday announcing the name of the winner of this award in 2026, said: "The European Union is founded on respect for multilateralism and international institutions. By awarding the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials, the European Parliament honors the important activity of this international court in the defense of international law (CIC). and, if necessary, prosecutes individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, including genocide, rape, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The awarding of the Sakharov Prize to this organization comes as the United States announced new sanctions against the International Criminal Court on October 9. The application of the American sanctions occurred just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, a former judge of this court and a lawyer from South Africa. Donald Trump, who thought he should have been given the Nobel Prize, called this choice "disgraceful".