Ukrainian people awarded the European Parliament’s 2022 Sakharov Prize

Members of the European Parliament today awarded the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, elected leaders and civil society.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the 2022 laureate, saying that the brave people of Ukraine would not give up: “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 what they believe in.”

The nomination highlights the efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy together with the role of individuals, representatives of civil society initiatives, and state and public institutions, including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine, Yulia Pajevska, founder of the evacuation medical unit Angels of Taira, Oleksandra Matviychuk, human rights lawyer and chairwoman of the Centre for Civil Liberties, the Yellow Ribbon Civil Resistance Movement, and Ivan Fedorov, the Mayor of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, which is currently under Russian occupation.

The awarding of the Sakharov Prize will take place on 14 December in Strasbourg. 

The annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms since 1988. It is named in honour of Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov. The prize money is €50,000.

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Press release