EP Awards Sakharov Prize to ICC, Tanzanian, Iranian Activists

The European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court, a Tanzanian opposition figure, and those sentenced in Ir...

Consensus

The European Parliament awarded the 2026 Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
The recipients include the International Criminal Court.
Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition activist and anti-corruption campaigner, was awarded the prize.
The Iranian twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Raheemi were awarded the prize.
The sisters were sentenced in January 2026 for participating in protests.
Tundu Lissu is currently in detention in Tanzania on charges of treason.
Taraneh Raheemi was sentenced to death, and Romina Raheemi to 25 years in prison.
The award was announced by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
The prize is given annually to individuals or groups who have made an exceptional contribution to the defense of human rights and freedom of thought worldwide.

Tundu Lissu was sentenced to death for treason, which may lead to execution. — tg_echoonline_news
Tundu Lissu returned to Tanzania in 2023 after exile and was later charged with treason. — tg_sotavisionmedia
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023 regarding the abduction of Ukrainian children. — tg_sotavisionmedia
The United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court in October, following the Nobel Peace Prize award to former ICC judge Navi Pillay. — tg_echoonline_news
Taraneh Raheemi was sentenced for 'waging war against God'. — tg_sotavisionmedia
The ICC's investigation into U.S. military actions in Afghanistan has been closed. — tg_echoonline_news