Trump punishes the International Criminal Court, and the European Parliament nominates it for the highest European human rights award

The European Parliament has named the International Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague, among the three finalists for the Sakharov Prize, along with Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu and the Iranian twin sisters Traneh and Romina Rahimi, who represent people being prosecuted by Tehran.

The award, which was established in 1988 and bears the name of Soviet opposition figure Andrei Sakharov, is given annually to individuals or organizations in recognition of their struggle for human rights or democracy.

Barry Andrews, a centrist European lawmaker from Ireland, said: “In an increasingly fraught global environment, supporting MEPs in their struggle has never been more challenging or more important.”

Parliamentary blocs in the European Parliament or individual legislators nominate the contenders.

Lissu, head of the opposition Chadema party in Tanzania, was arrested in April 2025, and faces the death penalty if convicted of treason on allegations that he incited the public to boycott last year's elections.

As for the twins, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi (21 years old), they were sentenced to death and imprisonment for 36 years, due to their participation in anti-government protests in Iran.

This month, the United States announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court, which is prosecuting individuals on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The administration of US President Donald Trump pledged to dismantle it in light of the state of anger over its judges issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip.

Yannis Maniatis, a lawmaker belonging to the centrist-left Socialists and Democrats bloc, said that they "stand by the International Criminal Court and its officials, and are committed to protecting its work." He added, "Protecting the principles on which our world was founded is essential to defending our democracy and our values."

This nomination comes in the wake of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize this month to former judge at the International Criminal Court, Navi Pillay, who also served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which angered Trump, who described the decision as “shameful,” considering that the award should have been awarded to him.

The winner of the Sakharov Prize is scheduled to be chosen this week, ahead of the awards ceremony to be held in December.