Navalny, Russia’s most prominent voice of opposition, known for exposing corruption and being an ardent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died under mysterious circumstances on 16 February 2024  in a remote Arctic penal colony. In 2021, he was awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Alexei Navalny, 2021 Sakharov Prize winner

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee. Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote. The winner is usually announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in November/December at plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

Sakharov Prize 2017

Strasbourg's Plenary session through the lens - Week 43

EP Plenary session - Formal Sitting with Sergey TIHANOVSKI, Sakharov Prize laureate 2020 and Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, leader of democratic forces of Belarus

AFET DEVE DROI - Sakharov Prize 2025: Presentation of candidates

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Sakharov Fellows

Sakharov Fellowship

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Israel and occupied Palestinian territories - Meeting with Reem AL HAJAJRA, Director of Women of the Sun and Sakharov Prize Nominee

DEVE AFET DROI - Presentation of candidates for the Sakharov Prize 2024

EP Plenary session - Announcement of the Sakharov Prize 2023 Laureate

AFET DEVE DROI - Announcement of the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought 2023 Candidates - Statements

The European Parliament has awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia.

During the ceremony at December’s plenary session in Strasbourg, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola paid tribute to their fight to restore democracy in Venezuela.

Parliament recognises the opposition as the legitimate winners of Venezuela’s July 2024 presidential election, and condemns the electoral fraud and rights violations carried out by the Maduro regime that stayed in power despite mass protests.

The Sakharov Prize is the EU’s highest award for human rights defenders. The other finalists from 2024 were Azerbaijani anti-corruption activist Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and the Women of the Sun and Women Wage Peace movements, which promote reconciliation and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.

Read more on the 2024 Sakharov Prize winners: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20240913STO23909/sakharov-prize-2024-goes-to-venezuelan-opposition-leaders

Parliament hands 2024 Sakharov Prize to Venezuelan opposition

The European Parliament has awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia.

During the ceremony at December’s plenary session in Strasbourg, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola paid tribute to their fight to restore democracy in Venezuela.

Parliament recognises the opposition as the legitimate winners of Venezuela’s July 2024 presidential election, and condemns the electoral fraud and rights violations carried out by the Maduro regime that stayed in power despite mass protests.

The Sakharov Prize is the EU’s highest award for human rights defenders. The other finalists from 2024 were Azerbaijani anti-corruption activist Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and the Women of the Sun and Women Wage Peace movements, which promote reconciliation and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.

Read more on the 2024 Sakharov Prize winners: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20240913STO23909/sakharov-prize-2024-goes-to-venezuelan-opposition-leader

Parliament hands 2024 Sakharov Prize to Venezuelan opposition 9:16

The European Parliament has awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia.

Parliament recognised the opposition as rightful winners of July 2024’s presidential election and rejected the widespread electoral fraud and the proclaimed victory of Nicolas Maduro.

With the EU’s highest honour for human rights defenders, Parliament pays tribute to Ms Machado and Mr González Urrutia’s fight to restore democracy, and stands with those defending freedom against authoritarian regimes worldwide.

Read more on the 2024 Sakharov Prize winners:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20240913STO23909/sakharov-prize-2024-goes-to-venezuelan-opposition-leaders

European Parliament honours María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia

Peace Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege speaks out against the use of rape and violence towards women as a weapon of war.
He is the founder of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. As a gynaecologist, he helped thousands of women victims of sexual and gender-based violence in his country.
In 2014, the European Parliament awarded him the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for his work. Four years later, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He continues to raise public awareness on the issue of sexual violence against women during armed conflicts.

* Watch the full speech on the European Parliament's Multimedia Centre: http://epyoutube.eu/SpeechMukwege

Dr Denis Mukwege speech on sexual violence in Congo | European Parliament

South African leader Nelson Mandela called for a swift end to the apartheid system and preached reconciliation.
 
It was July 1990. Just four months earlier he had been released, after 27 years in prison.
 
At the time, South Africa was still ruled by a white minority government. Four years after this speech, Mandela would become the first president of a democratic South Africa.

* Watch the full speech on the European Parliament's Multimedia Centre:
http://epyoutube.eu/SpeechMandela

Nelson Mandela speech on apartheid | European Parliament

Human rights campaigner Nadia Murad told the European Parliament in 2016 that the fights against terrorism and racism go hand in hand.
   
Her speech came as she was awarded the 2016 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought alongside Lamiya Aji Bashar.
 
The pair, from Iraq’s Yazidi community, were soldinto sexual slavery by the Islamic State terror group in 2014. Murad managed to escape and went on to advocate for victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. In 2018 she won the Nobel Peace Prize.     
   
*Watch the full speech on the European Parliament's multimedia channel.  
 
*Watch more videos from past Sakharov prizes: http://epyoutube.eu/Sakharov_Prize_playlist

Nadia Murad’s speech on fighting extremism | European Parliament

The European Parliament awarded Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran with the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought at a special ceremony in Strasbourg.  
       
Jina Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman, died in 2022 at the hands of Iran’s so-called morality police. They said she broke strict hijab rules. Her death sparked protests in Iran and around the world.        
       
MEPs continue to stand with the women of Iran in their struggle for freedom and equality.

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