Justice will not be intimidated
The awarding of the 2026 Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials represents an important political and symbolic act in defence of international law and judicial independence.
At a time when the Court is facing unprecedented political pressure and US sanctions, also advocated by lobbying organisations such as AIPAC, Europe is sending a clear message: no state, however powerful, is above international law.
Volt has opposed attempts to intimidate and undermine the Court from the outset. Volt Europa has also put forward concrete proposals to protect it, including extending the scope of the EU Blocking Statute to provide protection against extraterritorial sanctions, as well as strengthening the Court's financial and institutional independence.
Cyprus has every reason to support this effort. The late Cypriot judge Georgios Pikis, one of the first judges of the International Criminal Court, made a significant contribution to the development of its jurisprudence and institutional foundations.
For a country like Cyprus, which continues to live with the consequences of invasion and occupation, defending international law is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of principle and credibility.
We cannot invoke international law when it comes to Cyprus while questioning it when it comes to Ukraine, Palestine, or any other part of the world.
The award sends an important message. But symbolic recognition alone is not enough. The European Union must translate this support into concrete political and institutional measures to protect the Court.
Because the rule of law must always prevail over the law of the powerful.