Before Oleg SENTSOV, Sakharov Prize laureate 2018, addresses the plenary in a formal sitting in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, David SASSOLI, EP President, makes a statement

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

formal sitting

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2018 (T)

SENTSOV, Oleg (UA)

Formal sitting: address by Oleg SENTSOV, Sakharov Prize laureate 2018 - Statement by David SASSOLI, EP President

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Colleague, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great honor for me on behalf of the European Parliament to an extend a warm welcome to a sense of winner of the Sakharov Prize in 2018. He was released back in September, together with another 35 prisoners as part of a prisoner swap.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Oleg came back to Ukraine after spending five years in prison as part of a 20 year prison sentence based on accusations of terrorism. A sentence handed down by a Russian court for having criticized the illegal occupation of his home country, Crimea.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, So last year, he was still in prison in Siberia. During the ceremony, many of you remember the empty seat we had here in the chamber. That empty seat. We should have been for him was a symbol of his fight for democracy, but also of the vacuum left in society by all these people were punished for saying the truth. An empty hole and empty space in the daily lives of people, families, communities and democratic life in the world.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, So following the political trial, which he was subjected to in Russia, since I've said I don't know what value our personal convictions could have if we're not willing to suffer or indeed to give our lives for them. I was very much struck by those words. Indeed, everybody who heard them was very moved by them. It's absolutely true that courage is not just a virtue of the heart. It's also part of our spirit. And this has been a light motive in your work from the very outset, and you paid the highest price for that.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, However, why should anybody pay the price of their freedom? So many people defending human rights are forced to fear for their lives. They're afraid they can't see their families, their friends, because they refuse to remain silent or to back down in the face of violations of human rights.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Journalists, artists are increasingly being being targeted because they're saying what they think or make sense of has been released. But many others, including bloggers, journalists such as ***, are still in prison in eastern Ukraine. And I think all of you would join with me in calling for their release.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The same words would apply to other former winners of the Sakharov Prize, who is still in prison. Nadia Satoudeh, for example, Iranian, winner of the prize in 2012 after being released some time ago. This year, she was arrested once again this year and condemned to 38 years in prison.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President,  The Damas de Blanco, the Cuban women's movement who received the prize in 2005. Many of the members of that movement are still subject to intimidation by the authorities. The Syrian winner of the prize in 2011 and members of that group disappeared with no trace. None of us would want to forget any of these people.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The European Union is based on values such as democracy and human rights. When human rights are cast into doubt, when democracy is undermined, that hollows out our rule of law. And at such times, the previous members of our society are sorely needed.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Trade unionist bloggers, journalists, media operatives, artists, publishers, all of these people who strive to give a voice to those whose voice has been silenced. Democracy cannot exist without a lively and diverse civil society. This is why we have to do everything we can to protect it. Mr Sense of I would like to create pay tribute to your courage, to your determination, to your sense of honor. It's a great privilege for me to be able to extend this award to you on behalf of all the members of the European Parliament. It's my honor now to ask you to.