A
solemn ceremony of awarding the Sakharov Prize took place
at the session of the European Parliament in Strasburg on
December 16. The laureates of the prize were Russian human
rights activists Ludmila Alexeyeva, Sergei Kovalyov and Oleg
Orlov. Human rights activists called the European legislators
“not to turn a deaf ear” to Russian lawlessness, and President
of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek expressed his hope
that the murderers of Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova
will be hold for court.
European legislators welcomed the laureates with a storm
of applause. Sergei Kovalyov in his speech expressed his gratitude
to the European Parliament for a warm welcome, and asked the
audience to hold a minute of silence in memory of Natalya
Estemirova, human rights activist from the Memorial human
rights centre, killed in Chechnya in July 2009. “Europe should
not keep silence when human rights are violated in Russia,”
Kovalyov said. President of the European Parliament Jerzy
Buzek in his turn expressed his hope that the prize will encourage
human rights activists to continue their fight against lawlessness
and protect the values that “we have been promoting – freedom
and democracy”.
The names of the laureates were announced at the end of October.
Buzek explained then his choice that the EU tried to facilitate
that “breaking of the vicious circle of fear and violence
around human rights activists in the Russian Federation”.
According to him, the Sakharov Prize represents “an address
that civil society activists should have universal freedom
in realization of the basic right to the freedom of speech”.
The Andrei Sakharov Prize has been awarded since 1988 for
“outstanding achievements in upholding human rights and basic
liberties, as well as respect towards international laws and
development of democracy". Factions of the European Parliament
nominate Sakharov Prize winners, each candidate for the prize
should enjoy at least 40 votes in his favour from the factions
or deputies groups of the European Parliament. In 2007 journalist
Anna Politkovskaya was included post mortem into the list
of three finalists, however, the prize then went to Sudan’s
human rights activist Salih Makhmud Osman. In 2006 the prize
was awarded to Alexander Milinkevich, the leader of the Bylorussian
opposition.
See also:
The
original
Human
Rights
On
political persecution of human rights organisations in Moscow.
Statement of the YABLOKO party, November 13, 2009
The
YABLOKO party calls to stop criminal persecutions against
human rights activist Oleg Orlov. Statement by the Russian
United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 27, 2009
Congratulations
to Russian human rights activists on winning the Sakharov
Prize. From Chairman of the YABLOKO party. October 26,
2009
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