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Sakharov Prize

European award for human rights From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sakharov Prize
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For other uses, see Sakharov Prize (disambiguation).

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, commonly known as the Sakharov Prize, is an honorary award for individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought.[1] Named after Russian scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, the prize was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament.

Quick Facts Sakharov Prize for Freedom and Thought, Awarded for ...
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A shortlist of nominees is drawn up annually by the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Development. The MEPs who make up those committees then select a shortlist in September.[2] Thereafter, the final choice is given to The European Parliament's Conference of Presidents (President and political group's leaders) and the laureate's name is announced late in October. The prize is awarded in a ceremony at the Parliament's Strasbourg hemicycle (round chamber) in December.[3][2] The prize includes a monetary award of €50,000.[3]

The first prize was awarded jointly to South African Nelson Mandela and Russian Anatoly Marchenko. The 1990 award was given to Aung San Suu Kyi, but she could not receive it until 2013 as a result of her political imprisonment in Burma.[4] The prize has also been awarded to organisations, the first being the Argentine Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in 1992. Six Sakharov laureates were subsequently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: Aung San Suu Kyi (1991), Nelson Mandela (1993), Malala Yousafzai (2014), Denis Mukwege (2018), Nadia Murad (2018) and Memorial (2022).[5]

Razan Zaitouneh (2011) was kidnapped in 2013 and is still missing.[6] Nasrin Sotoudeh (2012) was released from prison in September 2013,[7] but is still barred from leaving Iran, along with fellow 2012 laureate Jafar Panahi.[8] The 2017 prize was awarded to the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela, under boycott of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left.[9][10]

As of 2024, the prize has been awarded to 51 recipients: 39 individuals (with 3 posthumously given) and 12 organizations.

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Laureates and nominees

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Table notes

  1. At the time she received the award, Suu Kyi was an opposition politician and a former General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, known for her peaceful struggle against military rule in Myanmar. She personally accepted the award in 2013, after she was released from 15 years of house arrest. In 2020, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament formally suspended Suu Kyi from the Sakharov Prize Community due to her role in the atrocities against the Rohingya people, but did not revoke the prize itself.[12][13][14]
  2. The nominations of Adem Demaçi, Chico Mendes and Aziz Nesin in 1990 were eventually removed because it were received after the deadline.
  3. On 12 October 1994, the Committee on Foreign Affairs had decided to only submit nominations of individuals to the Conference of Presidents. Hence, rather than submiting a joint nomination of Mr. and Mrs. Zana, only the nomination of Leyla Zana would be submitted.
  4. Tueni was nominated in memory of five prominent Lebanese people who were assassinated in 2005: Gebran Tueni (1957–2005), Rafic Hariri (1944–2005), Bassel Fleihan (1963–2005), Samir Kassir (1960–2005) and George Hawi (1938–2005).
  5. Bartholomew I's nomination was subsequently removed from the list after the Patriarch told the Parliament he would not accept it.[17]
  6. On 15 December 2010, the prize was awarded to Guillermo Fariñas. However, the Cuban authorities did not allow the laureate to come to Strasbourg, despite the requests of Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament. The latter therefore placed the diploma on an empty chair, covered with a Cuban flag at the dissident's request.[20]
  7. Due to infection control measures taken because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of events related to the Sakharov Community were postponed in 2020, including the Sakharov Fellowship, One World in Brussels and the European Youth Event.[37]
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See also

References

External links

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