Three Ukrainians committed to civil society accepted the award on behalf of their compatriots. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended the ceremony via video and called for a minute of silence for the victims of Russia’s offensive war against his country.
“I know that the brave people of Ukraine will not give up and neither will we,” said EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola. She also took the opportunity to pay tribute to last year’s prize winner, Alexej Navalny, who was imprisoned in the Russian penal camp. The winners of the Sakharov Prize, who still had to pay the price for their freedom, would not be forgotten.
The Sakharov Prize has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to an individual or organization that defends human rights and freedom of expression. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and the Colombian Truth Commission were also nominated this year.
(SDA)