This year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought goes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its staff. Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the winner on Thursday. The Court prosecutes suspects of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Narrow
The award is a political vote of support for the ICC, which is under heavy pressure due to American sanctions. However, the choice was not undisputed. In a closed vote among parliamentary group leaders, the Court ultimately won by a narrow majority against Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on judges, prosecutors, and staff of the Court. According to those involved, these measures threaten the functioning of international justice. Several groups in the European Parliament therefore demand that the European Commission quickly implements countermeasures.
Anti-blocking
One option is a European blocking regulation, which can nullify US sanctions within the EU. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas keeps that possibility open but currently wants to preserve room for diplomatic consultation with Washington.
D66 MEP Raquel GarcĂa Hermida-van der Walle wants to accelerate European decision-making. She proposes to prepare in advance so the Parliament can immediately approve countermeasures. Normally, MEPs are given two months for this process.
Journalism prize
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Award for investigative journalism was given on Wednesday to Dutch journalist Maite Vermeulen and Italian journalist Giacomo Zandonini. Their investigation for De Correspondent concerns the agreement under which Italy built a detention center and an asylum application center on Albanian territory.
The journalists spent eighteen months examining how this agreement came about and why other European countries regard it as an example. They spoke with migrants, lawyers, staff members, and politicians. Access to the centers was denied to them, and important information remained secret.
Press freedom
With this journalism prize, the European Parliament emphasizes the importance of independent reporting and press freedom. The award is named after Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in 2017. The prize honors journalism that defends democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
