European Union awards top rights prize to International Criminal Court days after Trump sanctions

According to Ukrinform, as cited by UA.NEWS, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the award at a plenary session in Strasbourg on Thursday, October 22.[2]UA.NEWS reports that the prize comes with a cash award of 50,000 euros.[2]Euronews reports that Trump's administration announced sanctions against the ICC on 9 October, following repeated criticism of its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its investigation into the conduct of US troops in Afghanistan.[3]Reuters reports that the sanctions announcement was made hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which was widely seen as a show of support for the embattled court.[1]French MEP Chloé Ridel, who nominated the court, told Euronews: "This is a message of hope and resistance sent to Donald Trump."[3]In a statement, the ICC said it was thankful to the European Parliament for awarding the Court and its officials this year's Sakharov Prize[4]. The court said the award comes at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges, including sanctions aimed at disrupting the Court's judicial mandate.[4]EUobserver reports that the ICC was shortlisted alongside a Tanzanian opposition leader and jailed Iranian protesters.[5]According to Euronews, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the threat of sanctions "not acceptable"[3] on 9 October. However, Euronews also reports that the EU has yet to take concrete action.[3]