Announcing the decision in Strasbourg on Thursday, 22 October, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the award reflected the European Union’s commitment to multilateralism and international institutions.
Metsola praised the Court for its work in upholding international law and justice. The announcement was met with a standing ovation in the parliamentary chamber.
The decision comes amid an escalating confrontation between the European Union and the administration of US President Donald Trump over the ICC’s jurisdiction and independence.
On 9 October, the United States imposed sanctions on the ICC as an institution, extending measures previously directed against individual judges and prosecutors.
The restrictions place the Court under the US Treasury’s sanctions regime, limiting financial transactions involving American individuals, businesses and institutions. Washington has issued several temporary and limited exemptions intended to allow specified operations to continue.
The measures followed earlier sanctions against senior ICC officials, including Court President Tomoko Akane, and form part of Washington’s campaign to prevent the tribunal from exercising jurisdiction over American personnel.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has argued that the ICC threatens American sovereignty by asserting authority over nationals of countries that have not accepted its founding treaty.
The Court rejected the latest restrictions, describing them as an attempt to obstruct the administration of international justice.
Established under the Rome Statute, the ICC operates independently of national governments and investigates serious international crimes where its jurisdictional requirements are satisfied.
Neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute.
The dispute with Washington has intensified since the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected with military operations in Gaza.
Israel rejects the Court’s jurisdiction and disputes the allegations. Washington has similarly opposed the proceedings against Israeli officials.
The ICC has also pursued investigations into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In March 2023, its judges issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
Further warrants followed in 2024 against senior Russian military commanders and officials in connection with attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
The proceedings demonstrate the geographical scope of the Court’s investigations, although its ability to secure arrests depends heavily on cooperation from individual states.
The ICC has no independent police force and relies on national authorities to execute its warrants.
The ICC’s nomination for the Sakharov Prize was submitted by the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament.
Its selection comes as European lawmakers examine how the EU should respond to American sanctions affecting the Court and organisations supporting its activities.
The October restrictions have raised practical questions about access to banking, technology services and other infrastructure required by the tribunal.
European governments must also consider how to support an institution established through an international treaty while maintaining relations with Washington.
The Sakharov Prize carries no legal authority to reverse American sanctions or compel governments to cooperate with ICC investigations. Nevertheless, the award represents an explicit institutional endorsement of the tribunal at a time when its operations face increasing external pressure.
The ICC was selected from three finalists announced earlier this month.
The other nominees were Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu and Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, whose cases have attracted international attention over political persecution and judicial proceedings.
The Sakharov Prize, established by the European Parliament in 1988, is named after Soviet physicist, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.
It recognises individuals and organisations defending human rights, freedom of expression and fundamental liberties. The award includes €50,000.
Previous recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and imprisoned journalists.
In 2025, the prize was awarded jointly to Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli.
The formal presentation of the 2026 prize is scheduled for 16 December at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The award places the ICC alongside previous Sakharov laureates while drawing further attention to the unresolved dispute between Washington and European governments over international criminal jurisdiction.
On Wednesday, U.S. media outlets reported on the possibility of new U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, amid persistent tensions between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran.
RELATED: Netanyahu Orders to ‘Topple the Iranian Regime’
Authorities from both countries are reportedly evaluating various scenarios related to “regional security” and the Iranian nuclear program, considered a major source of “concern” for its Western allies.
Among the options being considered are operations targeting facilities linked to the Iranian nuclear program, including infrastructure considered strategic by Western intelligence and defense services.
Speculation has intensified following the recent visit to Israel by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
An investigation published by The New York Times indicates that any far-reaching decision could come after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for next November.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz: "I said Southern Lebanon would become Gaza. We applied the Rafah model. Destroy everything. 24 villages flattened. 15,000-20,000 homes destroyed. Infrastructure demolished."
— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) July 12, 2026
Only Israel can brag about committing genocide in broad daylight -…
In addition to a potential military response, reports suggest the possibility of increased economic pressure on Iran through new sanctions and financial restrictions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has not publicly confirmed the adoption of new measures, although the matter continues to be debated in strategic circles in Washington and Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that his country’s occupatory forces are prepared to act “preventively” and “defensively” against any possible Iranian attack during the Israeli electoral process scheduled for October 27.
Katz asserted that the army is “ready to intervene” immediately in operational and intelligence matters, while Iranian authorities have reiterated that they will respond proportionally to any aggression.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | During a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Baku, Azerbaijan, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Israel to halt and reverse the establishment of settlements in the West Bank, which is occupied Palestinian territory. pic.twitter.com/xm7RduwpW6
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 19, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – teleSUR
Os conflitos no Oriente Médio são parte central da campanha eleitoral em Israel para o Parlamento, conhecido como Knesset. A votação acontecerá no dia 27 de outubro e definirá o futuro do primeiro-ministro Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tanto o governo quanto a oposição tentam ter controle das narrativas sobre os conflitos. De um lado, o governo de Netanyahu afirma que as ações eram necessárias e garantiram a segurança de Israel; do outro, a oposição critica e diz que os objetivos não foram concluídos e causaram danos ao país.
Uma das guerras que ainda não chegou ao fim é a batalha no Líbano, contra o Hezbollah. Além dos ataques aéreos, que deixaram milhares de mortos, Israel avançou pelo território libanês e capturou uma área que avançava cerca de 10 km pelo país vizinho.
Um cessar-fogo mediado pelos Estados Unidos fez com que a fase mais intensa desse conflito ficasse para trás. Ainda assim, não houve um acordo para o fim definitivo das hostilidades.
Israel quer o desarmamento completo do Hezbollah, enquanto o grupo libanês se nega a baixar as armas e exige que as forças israelenses deixem o Líbano completamente.
Desta maneira, a comunidade internacional acompanha de perto as eleições israelenses para avaliar o futuro das negociações.
Samuel Feldberg, doutor em Ciências Políticas pela USP e pesquisador da Universidade de Tel Aviv, avalia que não haverá grandes mudanças na política externa israelense após a votação, mesmo se a oposição a Benjamin Netanyahu vencer.
O especialista explica que os candidatos de maior relevância são ligados aos militares e têm experiência na área de segurança, como, por exemplo, Gadi Eisenkot. Ele foi ex-chefe do Estado-Maior das Forças Armadas de Israel e é o principal cotado para assumir o cargo de primeiro-ministro, caso vença Netanyahu.
Outros postulantes também ocuparam cargos importantes, como Avigdor Lieberman, ex-ministro da Defesa.
“As negociações com o governo do Líbano provavelmente vão continuar, mesmo se houver uma alternância de governo. E as demandas em relação à pressão sobre o Hezbollah com certeza vão continuar, mesmo que o governo não seja esse de Netanyahu”, pontua Feldberg.
Karina Calandrin, professora de Relações Internacionais do Ibmec-SP, concorda que ainda haverá pressão da sociedade israelense para que o grupo libanês se desarme e não represente mais uma ameaça para o país.
“A eleição pode mudar os instrumentos e o grau de disposição para negociar, mas provavelmente não eliminará o consenso israelense de que o Hezbollah não pode reconstruir no sul do Líbano a capacidade militar que possuía antes dessas guerras”, analisa.
Uma pesquisa de junho da Universidade Hebraica de Jerusalém, em colaboração com o Instituto Agam, revelou que apenas 12,2% dos entrevistados acreditavam que Israel alcançou a maioria dos objetivos abrangidos pela ideia de “vitória total”, que incluía, segundo a pesquisa, eliminar a ameaça do Hezbollah no Líbano, entre outros pontos.
Outros 61,3% disseram que Israel não alcançou esses objetivos “de forma alguma”, enquanto 26,5% avaliaram que Israel alcançou “alguns” de seus objetivos.
João Miragaya, assessor do Instituto Brasil-Israel e mestre em História pela Universidade de Tel Aviv, diz que é possível que um novo governo israelense tente chegar a um acordo com o governo libanês para o desarmamento do Hezbollah, que poderia terminar em um acordo de paz.
De toda forma, o especialista destaca que o processo seria complicado, ponderando que o “Hezbollah faria de tudo para atrapalhar” as negociações.
Washington and Israel have devised new plans to strike Iran again after the U.S. midterm elections, The New York Times reports, citing senior U.S. officials and other sources. The planning comes as the armed forces of both countries have stepped up military maneuvers in the region to rehearse bombing missions, and as the State Department has ordered nonessential embassy staff and their families to evacuate Saudi Arabia amid the prospect of possible new attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. It also comes as Israel prepares for an election in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for re-election.
© Vahid Salemi (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Pese a que era el líder de Israel cuando unas 1.200 personas murieron en los ataques encabezados por Hamás el 7 de octubre de 2023, Benjamin Netanyahu tiene opciones sorprendentemente buenas de obtener un buen resultado en las elecciones generales de la próxima semana. En parte se debe a las campañas militares del primer ministro israelí, que le han devuelto el prestigio a ojos de algunos de sus compatriotas. También a que preside una economía que en 2025 logró crecer más de un punto porcentual por encima de la media del 1,8% de los países de la OCDE, el club de economías desarrolladas. Aun así, otro Gobierno podría obtener un dividendo económico.
© Amir Cohen (REUTERS)
Las elecciones del 27 de octubre en Israel estarán dominadas por una única pregunta: mantener a Benjamin Netanyahu o deshacerse de él. Pero hay una lucha más profunda sobre la identidad del país, y las fuerzas antiliberales de Israel están ganando.
© Oded Balilty (AP Photo)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he has directed the military and the Mossad to bring down the Iranian government.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for IDF officer cadets, Netanyahu said his instruction to the Israel Defense Forces and the Mossad was “to overthrow the regime in Iran”, saying that Tehran “has not yet learned its lesson”.
He accused Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei of following in his father’s footsteps by “unlocking the weapon”, and said Iran was again trying to build a nuclear bomb.
The remarks follow similar language in September, when Netanyahu told the IDF General Staff that toppling the regime was “within reach”.
Israel and the United States have been in an intermittent conflict with Iran since earlier this year, during which Ali Khamenei was killed.
Israel’s Channel 12, citing US officials, reported that dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refuelling aircraft flew over Syria and Iraq towards the Iranian border earlier this week on a route suggesting an attack, though the aircraft turned back shortly before reaching Iranian territory.
According to Channel 12, Israel told Washington in advance that the flight was an exercise and a show of force meant to deter Iran.
The channel said some sources believe certain Israeli officials may have hoped Iran would fire on the aircraft, giving Israel a pretext to attack.
The Financial Times has reported that Netanyahu sought to launch strikes against Iran earlier this month, but that US president Donald Trump opposed a new conflict ahead of the US midterm elections.
Channel 12 also reported that IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir warned his American counterpart, General Dan Caine, that a war before Israel’s elections next week would probably force a postponement of the vote.
US photojournalist describes ‘protective shield’, vows to return to work in West Bank and criticises Netanyahu comments on incident
The Washington Post photojournalist who was attacked and seriously injured by Israeli settlers in the West Bank on Friday has described how she was saved with the help of local Palestinians.
Heidi Levine sustained four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four puncture wounds when she was knocked to the ground and repeatedly beaten by a crowd of masked settlers while she and other journalists were covering the olive harvest in the Palestinian village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah.
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© Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian
© Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian
© Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian
Iran, recognizing surefire defeat in a kinetic war, is leaning in on an information warfare campaign to undermine the United States and Israel from within, according to Yuval David, a strategic U.S.-Israel geopolitical communications advisor.
"You cannot beat Israel or the United States in a physical kinetic war," David told Fox News Digital from Budapest, where he joined Israeli President Isaac Herzog for high-level diplomatic talks Wednesday, adding the warning of an "information warfare system."
"And that’s what’s going on with social media, with our devices and the people who are on TikTok and Instagram and Facebook and X and YouTube and all of the different social media platforms where the Islamic Republic of Iran is able to affect people’s minds."
"One of the things that it does is it tries to create a rot from within the societies and, sadly, it’s very much succeeding in doing so," he added, stating that Iran's campaign has enjoyed "guidance from Russia and China."
David’s warning comes as Israel prepares for an election next week that analysts say could change its leadership but is unlikely to produce a fundamental shift in the country’s Iran policy.
A Reuters analysis published Wednesday found that Iran will likely remain Israel’s chief adversary, with military force continuing to serve as the country’s preferred tool against its enemies. The report said Israel’s security doctrine is centered on confronting Iran, maintaining buffer zones beyond its borders and keeping military pressure on to deter threats.
A victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backed by conservative coalition partners, could deepen Israel’s confrontation with Tehran, not bring about appeasement. Even an opposition-led government would likely share the same broad strategic outlook, David said.
TRUMP IS DISMANTLING IRAN’S WAR MACHINE, BUT AMERICA STILL NEEDS AN ENDGAME
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is a massive concern for the world," David said. "Tehran does not fear another diplomatic statement. It fears an America and an Israel with the intelligence, military capabilities and political will to act together."
David said the U.S.-Israel alliance should not be judged by whether American leaders support the same Israeli candidate.
"Presidents come and go, prime ministers come and go. America’s and Israel’s enemies do not take election years off," he said. "America doesn’t need to choose Israel’s prime minister, nor will it, nor can it, nor is it even trying to. America just needs a strong Israeli partner, whoever the Israelis elect."
Reuters has cited regional analysts who said Netanyahu’s re-election could allow him to pursue a more aggressive campaign against Iran, while Arab states remain wary of his policies but want Tehran’s influence contained.
David said Iran’s hostility toward the United States and Israel extends beyond the current conflict.
IRAN’S PROXY WAR HAS CROSSED OCEANS AND IS NOW KNOCKING ON AMERICA’S DOOR
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been waging this ideological war against America and also against Israel and also against democracies around the world since 1979," he said. "The regime never stopped a war.
"Americans thought we have had a war, and then we didn't have a war. Then we had one. Then we didn't. Well, the Islamic Republic of Iran never ended that war. They've seen this as an ongoing war since 1979."
FROM INTELLIGENCE SHARING TO MISSILE DEFENSE, HOW ISRAEL'S PARTNERSHIP PROTECTS AMERICAN SECURITY
He also framed U.S. support for Israel as a matter of serving American national security interests.
"America does not support Israel because Israel is helpless. America partners with Israel because Israel is capable," David said. "Supporting Israel’s security isn’t charity. It’s American strategic self-interest."
President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu, contrasted with Vice President JD Vance’s decision to stay out of the race, reflects differing political approaches rather than a split over Iran or the U.S.-Israel alliance, according to David.
VP JD VANCE ADDRESSES US-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IRAN IS TRYING TO 'PLAY' THE UNITED STATES
"President Trump is endorsing Prime Minister Netanyahu – Vice President Vance is emphasizing American priorities, but supporting Israel’s security doesn’t require endorsing a particular Israeli politician," he concluded.
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"Trump is speaking to Israeli voters because that’s what Trump is able to do – Vance is speaking to American voters," David said. "Far too many Americans don’t realize both Trump and Vance know that Tehran is listening."
© ABIR SULTAN/EPA
“Rovesciare il regime iraniano”. Benjamin Netanyahu, a soli sei giorni dalle elezioni in Israele, torna a invocare la guerra contro la Repubblica islamica, dopo l’ultima campagna iniziata il 28 febbraio scorso che non ha portato a stravolgimenti nelle politiche di Teheran. E non è l’unico: come lui, anche il suo ministro della Difesa, Israel Katz, è tornato a minacciare una nuova stagione di conflitto mentre Washington e gli ayatollah stanno ancora portando avanti i colloqui di pace.
Se si tratti di dichiarazioni dettate più da necessità elettorali che da convinzioni strategiche non è possibile stabilirlo. Fatto sta che il primo ministro israeliano è tornato a usare lo stesso vocabolario delle settimane degli attacchi incrociati fra la Repubblica islamica e gli obiettivi israeliani e americani in tutto il Golfo. “Il regime iraniano non ha ancora imparato la lezione, c’è solo un modo per rimuovere la minaccia una volta per tutte: rovesciare il regime in Iran ed è la mia direttiva per Idf, Mossad e agenzie di sicurezza”, ha affermato durante una cerimonia militare nel sud di Israele. E ha poi minacciato direttamente la nuova Guida Suprema, Mojtaba Khamenei, dicendo che “ha deciso di seguire le orme di suo padre. L’Iran sta ancora una volta tentando di sviluppare le sue armi di morte”.
Se si tratti di un ordine di passare all’azione è tutto da stabilire. Ma anche secondo Katz, ad esempio, un nuovo scontro tra Tel Aviv e Teheran sarebbe vicino. Non per volontà dello Stato ebraico, però, ma della Repubblica islamica che vorrebbe influenzare il voto: “Il regime iraniano si trova nel suo momento di maggiore debolezza – ha detto – Questa debolezza potrebbe indurlo ad adottare misure estreme. Negli ultimi giorni, abbiamo individuato tentativi da parte dei nostri nemici, principalmente l’Iran e i suoi alleati, di sferrare attacchi che influenzeranno l’esito delle elezioni in Israele. Se l’Iran attacca Israele, l’Iran brucerà!”.
Sul fronte dei colloqui tra Iran e Stati Uniti, le valutazioni delle due parti appaiono in contrasto. Il segretario di Stato Usa, Marco Rubio, ha parlato di un accordo estremamente difficile da raggiungere, così “la pressione economica continuerà” finché Teheran non smetterà di attaccare le navi mercantili nello Stretto di Hormuz. Da parte sua, il ministro degli Esteri iraniano, Abbas Araghchi, ha detto che lo Stretto di Hormuz rimarrà chiuso finché Washington non accetterà le condizioni di Teheran, aggiungendo che i colloqui indiretti proseguono attraverso Pakistan e Qatar. Il capo della diplomazia di Teheran, però, mostra maggiore ottimismo affermando che “gli americani ci hanno fatto sapere di essere d’accordo con il nostro nuovo piano di sette giorni per porre fine alla guerra, ma desiderano aggiungere alcune clausole”. Ha però specificato che “l’Iran non cederà in alcun modo, né alle sanzioni economiche né alle minacce militari. L’unica soluzione adeguata è la diplomazia. Finora, Teheran ha partecipato a tre cicli di colloqui con gli Stati Uniti, tutti sfociati in una guerra contro l’Iran. Ciononostante, la porta alla diplomazia rimane aperta”.
Washington non sembra volersi mettere al fianco di Tel Aviv anche in questa nuova offensiva, per adesso solo verbale, contro l’Iran. E, come è ormai chiaro, mira invece a una distensione che indirizzi il conflitto verso un tavolo di pace. A confermarlo, secondo quanto scrive il Financial Times, è anche l’intervento diretto di Donald Trump per stoppare una nuova campagna militare israeliana che doveva iniziare il 10 ottobre scorso. Netanyahu, si legge, aveva incaricato le sue forze armate di pianificare una nuova offensiva di vasta portata, con l’esercito israeliano pronto per una campagna di bombardamenti di più giorni che avrebbe preso di mira infrastrutture civili come centrali elettriche, impianti nucleari e altri obiettivi. Una versione confermata da tre fonti che hanno parlato al quotidiano finanziario britannico ma che viene smentita dal Jerusalem Post, secondo cui né Netanyahu né Katz o altri esponenti del governo avevano dato ordine all’Idf di prepararsi all’attacco.
L'articolo Netanyahu torna a minacciare l’Iran: “L’unica soluzione è rovesciare il regime”. Financial Times: “Trump ha impedito un nuovo attacco israeliano” proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Army, the Mossad intelligence agency and the rest of the security services to “topple the regime of Iran.”
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During a graduation ceremony for army officers, the Zionist leader maintained that the Persian nation has “resumed its efforts to acquire weapons,” which would represent “an existential threat” to Israel.
Netanyahu asserted that he had conveyed this position to U.S. President Donald Trump during a telephone conversation held on Monday, and claimed that the Republican leader agreed with his approach.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that the Iranian regime “is going through the moment of greatest weakness in its history,” and warned that this situation could push it to adopt extreme measures against Israel.
US and Israel must 'finish' the job
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) October 21, 2026
— Netanyahu calls for resumption of large-scale military operations against Iran, according to FT, citing sources pic.twitter.com/J73zmUBbwC
“Our message to the Iranian regime is clear: we see its attempts, we are prepared to thwart them, and we are ready to respond with all our strength. If Iran attacks Israel, Iran will burn!” he said.
A security source cited by Israel’s Channel 12 television, however, maintains that the security services have no record of the information presented by Netanyahu, and therefore expressed concern about the possibility that it was erroneous information.
The Financial Times reported that the Zionist prime minister is pressing to resume large-scale attacks against Iran and even prepared a plan to do so ten days ago, although he ultimately did not go ahead with it because of Trump’s opposition.
On Monday, without prior announcement, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Israel to meet with Netanyahu, with whom he held a conversation about the Middle East situation, according to what a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office told EFE.
With that background, the leader of Israel’s leftist Democrats party, Yair Golan, warned on Wednesday about possible military campaigns “for political purposes” ordered by Netanyahu a few days before the general elections in Israel.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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