European Parliament announced Sakharov prize nominees

Members of the European Parliament announced seven candidates for the Sakharov prize at a joint session of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and the human rights sub-committee.

Among the nominees there are Ales Bialiatski, Mikalaj Statkievich and Eduard Lobau, representing all Belarusian political prisoners, - an MEP Marek Migalski says. He presented their nomination in the European Parliament, Radio Racyja reports.

“All Belarusian political prisoners are represented by three people. If these three people receive the award, this will mean that all Belarusian political prisoners will get it”, - Marek Migalski stated.

The head of the human rights center Viasna Ales Bialiatski was nominated for Sakharov prize last year too. He came second in the number of votes. The award went to Iranians – a lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and a film director Jafar Panahi, who are now in prison in their country.

The prize named after the soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov was founded in December 1985 by the European Parliament. It is awarded to people or organizations, which defend people’s rights and freedoms.