The Ukrainian film director, who is currently held in Russian prison, has been declared this year’s winner of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on October, 25.
He was chosen from a shortlist of three by the Parliament’s political group leaders.
“Through his courage and determination, by putting his life in danger, the film maker Oleg Sentsov has become a symbol of the struggle for the release of political prisoners held in Russia and around the world. By awarding him the Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament is expressing its solidarity with him and his cause. We ask that he be released immediately. His struggle reminds us that it is our duty to defend human rights everywhere in the world and in all circumstance,” European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said when announcing the laureate.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded every year by the European Parliament. It was established in 1988 to honour individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The award ceremony will be held in Strasbourg on December, 12.
The charge was based on the testimony of Alexey Chyrny and Gennady Afanasiev. In court Afanasiev withdrew evidence saying that he had been tortured in jail. It is impossible to swap Sentsov for any Russian prisoner in Ukraine, because after the annexation of Crimea Russia started considering the Ukrainian director a citizen of Russia.
Sentsov, who demands that the Russian authorities release more than 60 Ukrainians jailed in Russia and Crimea, went on hunger strike on May, 14. The 42-year-old prisoner who has never asked president Vladimir Putin for pardon stopped his 145-day hungerstrike in early October. He is experiencing serious health complications in the Russian penal colony.
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Belsat.eu, following europarl.eu
