Antonio TAJANI, EP President announces that the Conference of Presidents finally decides to award the 2017 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela: National Assembly (Julio Borges) and all political prisoners as listed by Foro Penal Venezolano represented by Leopoldo López, Antonio Ledezma, Daniel Ceballos, Yon Goicoechea, Lorent Saleh, Alfredo Ramos and Andrea González.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Strasbourg

SIVICKAS, Gintautas (LT)

THOMSEN, Britta (S&D, DK)

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2017 (T)

Democratic Opposition in Venezuela (VE)

Unveil of the laureate of the Sakharov Prize 2017: extracts from the announcement by Antonio TAJANI, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Today, it is our duty to denounce, once again, after 5 resolutions adopted by this House in the last year, the serious situation in Venezuela.

<p>SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, <br />by awarding the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Democratic Opposition in Venezuela, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the democratically-elected National Assembly of Venezuela, the only democratically elected parliament. We are also calling for the peaceful transition to democracy that the Venezuelan people are desperately calling for.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, <br />The Conference of Presidents has decided to also invite to the ceremony of award of the Sakharov Prize on 13 of December in Strasbourg to the two finalists of the award, Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic and Dawit Isaak, who will be represented by a relative as he's still detained in Eritrea (applause)