The European Parliament awarded the people of Ukraine, represented by their President, Volodymyr Zelensky, its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour their fight against Russia’s invasion.
Grateful to @Europarl_EN, @EP_President for awarding the Sakharov Prize to the people. Ukrainians prove dedication to the values of freedom, democracy every day on the battlefield against the terrorist state of the RF. On this path, nations’ support very important for .
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 19, 2022
“Dear colleagues. It is my privilege to announce that the 2022 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought has been awarded to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society,” Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament President, started.
“It’s also important for me to tell you that there was consensus within the Conference of Presidents on this choice. For the past nine months, the European Parliament and the world has seen Ukrainians heroically defending their country, their liberty, their homes, and their families. But the Ukrainian people are also risking their lives for Europe, to safeguard the values that we all believe in freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. There is no one more deserving of this prize. So 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, and 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,” Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament President, said
The award comes with prize money of 50,000 euros (or 49,100 dollars), which the EU said would be distributed to representatives of Ukrainian civil society.
The Sakharov Prize, named after the late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually since 1988 to individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.