The Ukrainian people were honoured for their continuous struggle against Russia’s invasion of their nation on Wednesday when the European Parliament presented them with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, a distinguished award in the field of human rights.
‘This award is for the Ukrainians fighting on the ground, for those who have been forced to escape, for those who have lost relatives and friends, for all who rise up and fight for who and what they believe in,’ said Roberta Metsola, head of the European Parliament.
She later also took to Twitter and said, ‘They are standing up for what they believe in. Fighting for our values. Protecting democracy, freedom and rule of law. Risking their lives for us. No more deserving of this prize.’
The award comes with 50,000 euro price money which will reportedly be distributed to the representatives of Ukrainian civil society.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, too expressed thanks and emphasised how crucial the assistance of EU countries is for Kyiv. In a statement, Zelensky stated that ‘Ukrainians display loyalty to the values of freedom and democracy on the battlefield against the terrorist state of the RF every day.’
The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently detained, and Colombia’s ‘Truth Commission,’ an organisation established in 2018 to look into atrocities perpetrated during the nation’s five-decade conflict that concluded in 2016, were both nominated for this year’s award.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is named after the Soviet dissent Andrei Sakharov. Since 1988 has been awarded annually to individuals and organisations for defending human rights and freedom.
Notably, this prize was awarded to Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in 2021. Past laureates also include South African President Nelson Mandela, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai and Belarus’ democratic opposition.
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