In the European Parliament, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was awarded. According to DW, this year’s laureate was the people of Ukraine.
The laureate was announced in October. The Conference of Presidents of the EP, which includes Parliament President Roberta Metsola and the leaders of all the political groups, emphasized the "enormous costs inflicted on the Ukrainian people" and their fight to protect their homes, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, but they are also defending freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and European values.
"This award is for those Ukrainians fighting on the ground, for those who have been forced to flee, for those who have lost relatives and friends, for all those who stand up and fight for who and what they believe in. I know that the brave people of Ukraine will not give up and neither will we," said Roberta Metsola.
The €50,000 endowment of the prize was awarded to the people of Ukraine represented by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other elected leaders, as well as civil society.
The European Parliament set up the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought named in honor of Soviet physicist and human rights advocate Andrei Sakharov. It is awarded to individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. In 2018, the prize was awarded to Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov.
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