Editing Sakharov Prize (section)

{{Short description|European award for human rights}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Featured list}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Sakharov Prize <br/>for Freedom and Thought
| image = 2023 Sakharov Prize diploma (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = The 2023 Sakharov Prize diploma awarded to [[Mahsa Jina Amini]] and the [[Woman, Life, Freedom movement]] in Iran.
| alt = 
| awarded_for = Recognizing individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought.
| presenter = [[European Parliament]]
| country = 
| year = {{start date and age|df=yes|1988|12}}
| reward = A diploma and a monetary award of €50,000
| holder_label = Currently held by
| previous = 
| main = Currently held by<br/>[[María Corina Machado]]<br/>[[Edmundo González]]
| next = 
| website = {{official website|https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharovprize/en/home}}
}}

The '''Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought''', commonly known as the '''Sakharov Prize''', is an honorary award for individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives to the defence of [[human rights]] and [[freedom of thought]].<ref name=cold>{{Cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23/newsid_2540000/2540121.stm | title = 1986: Sakharov comes in from the cold | publisher = [[BBC News]] | access-date = 21 October 2010 | date = 23 December 1986 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101226190108/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23/newsid_2540000/2540121.stm | archive-date = 26 December 2010 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Named after Russian scientist and dissident [[Andrei Sakharov]], the prize was established in December 1988 by the [[European Parliament]].

A shortlist of nominees is drawn up annually by the European Parliament's [[European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs|Committee on Foreign Affairs]] and [[European Parliament Committee on Development|Committee on Development]]. The MEPs who make up those committees then select a shortlist in September.<ref name="auto">[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20181009IPR15306/sakharov-prize-2018-three-finalists-selected "Sakharov Prize 2018: three finalists selected", ''News—European Parliament'', 10 September 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510161714/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20181009IPR15306/sakharov-prize-2018-three-finalists-selected |date=10 May 2019 }}.</ref> Thereafter, the final choice is given to The European Parliament's Conference of Presidents (President and political group's leaders) and the laureate's name is announced late in October. The prize is awarded in a ceremony at the Parliament's Strasbourg [[hemicycle]] (round chamber) in December.<ref name= official/><ref name="auto"/> The prize includes a monetary award of €50,000.<ref name=official>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharovprize/en/home/how-it-works.html |title=Sakharov Prize |publisher = [[European Parliament]] |access-date=29 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915203806/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharovprize/en/home/how-it-works.html| archive-date= 15 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The first prize was awarded jointly to South African [[Nelson Mandela]] and Russian [[Anatoly Marchenko]]. The 1990 award was given to [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], but she could not receive it until 2013 as a result of her political imprisonment in Burma.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.ft.com/content/cb66fa57-f334-33d9-bb2e-ca4cb5ef50bc?mhq5j=e5 | work = Financial Times | title = Aung San Suu Kyi collects Sakharov prize 23 years on | first = Annabel | last = Cook | date = 22 October 2013 | access-date = 27 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043703/https://www.ft.com/content/cb66fa57-f334-33d9-bb2e-ca4cb5ef50bc?mhq5j=e5 | archive-date = 28 October 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The prize has also been awarded to organisations, the first being the Argentine [[Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo]] in 1992. Six Sakharov laureates were subsequently awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]: Aung San Suu Kyi (1991), Nelson Mandela (1993), [[Malala Yousafzai]] (2014), [[Denis Mukwege]] (2018), [[Nadia Murad]] (2018) and [[Memorial (society)|Memorial]] (2022).<ref>{{Cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/world/nobel-peace-prize-winners-throughout-history.html | work = The New York Times | title = Nobel Peace Prize Winners Throughout History | first1 = Mona | last1 = Boshnaq | first2 = Sewell | last2 = Chan | first3 = Lillie | last3 = Dremeaux | first4 = Palko | last4 = Karasz | first5 = Madeleine | last5 = Kruhly | date = 6 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171013154603/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/world/nobel-peace-prize-winners-throughout-history.html | archive-date = 13 October 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

[[Razan Zaitouneh]] (2011) was kidnapped in 2013 and is still missing.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/zaitouneh_en.html | title = Razan Zaitouneh | publisher = European Parliament | access-date = 27 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043640/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/zaitouneh_en.html | archive-date = 28 October 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>  [[Nasrin Sotoudeh]] (2012) was released from prison in September 2013,<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/sotoudeh_en.html | title = Nasrin Sotoudeh | publisher = European Parliament | access-date = 27 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043140/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/sotoudeh_en.html | archive-date = 28 October 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>  but is still barred from leaving Iran, along with fellow 2012 laureate [[Jafar Panahi]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/panahi_en.html | title = Jafar Panahi | access-date = 27 October 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043651/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/sakharov/laureates/panahi_en.html | archive-date = 28 October 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>  The 2017 prize was awarded to the Democratic Opposition in Venezuela, under boycott of the [[European United Left–Nordic Green Left]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/world/europe/venezuela-opposition-sakharov-prize.html|title=Venezuelan Opposition Receives E.U.'s Sakharov Freedom Prize|last=Schreuer|first=Milan|date=26 October 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=31 October 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026183524/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/world/europe/venezuela-opposition-sakharov-prize.html|archive-date=26 October 2017}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/left-to-boycott-politicised-sakharov-prize-ceremony|title=Left to boycott politicised Sakharov Prize ceremony – GUE/NGL – Another Europe is possible|website=www.guengl.eu|language=en|access-date=31 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201020230/http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/left-to-boycott-politicised-sakharov-prize-ceremony|archive-date=1 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of 2024, the prize has been awarded to 51 recipients: 39 individuals (with 3 posthumously given) and 12 organizations.