The awarding of the European Union's top rights prize Thursday to the International Criminal Court comes as the tribunal faces "unprecedented challenges", including US sanctions, its president said.
"This award comes at a time when the Court and its officials face unprecedented challenges, including sanctions aimed at disrupting the Court's judicial mandate," said top judge Tomoko Akane.
The prize reaffirms "the importance of independent judicial institutions and of those who work to uphold international law", she added in a statement.
The Sakharov Prize announcement came after the United States earlier this month imposed sanctions on the ICC, just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a former judge on the court, South Africa's Navi Pillay.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened the United States would keep working to dismantle the ICC "brick by brick" if it did not address Washington's concerns -- notably its arrest warrant for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes in Gaza.
Akane said that given the context, "the Sakharov Prize carries particular significance".
"It is also an important recognition of the role of international justice as a cornerstone of lasting peace," she said.
"In a world marked by rising conflicts, there is no peace without justice and no security without law."
