In the building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the main human rights award of the European Union – the Sakharov Prize – was presented.
This year, the prize was awarded to the brave people of Ukraine, who resisted a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
First, the head of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, gave the floor to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The head of state made a video address.
The European Parliament also observed a moment of silence in memory of the Ukrainians who died in the war against Ukraine launched by Russia.
On behalf of the Ukrainian people, paramedic Yulia Paevska, head of the Center for Civil Liberties Oleksandra Matviychuk, Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, soldiers of the State Emergency Service and representatives of the Yellow Ribbon resistance movement received awards.
It became known on October 19 that the Ukrainian people became a laureate of the Sakharov Prize. Metsola emphasized that Ukrainians stand up for what they believe in, and also defend democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded annually for an exceptional contribution to the struggle for freedom of thought and human rights on the planet. Thus, the selection of nominees for the award is not limited to the borders of the EU countries or other European structures, but takes place all over the world.
In 2018, the award was first won by Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov, who was then held in a Russian prison. He was given it after his release in 2019.