Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The European Parliament's Socialist and Democratic Party bloc said in a statement issued in Brussels on Wednesday that the brave Ukrainian people, our candidate, is the natural winner of the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and we warmly welcome the European Parliament's selection of this year's final winner. This reaffirms our sincere support for the Ukrainians in the war waged by Russia, the deadliest attack on peace in Europe since World War II. The blocs of the Socialist and Democratic Parties, the European People's Party and the Renewed European Bloc were behind the candidacy of the brave Ukrainian people, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society. “We nominated them because they are not only fighting for their country, but also for our freedom and democracy.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and Expression, worth 50 thousand euros, was the most prominent recipient of the African leader, Nelson Mandela, who won the first edition of the award, and Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, followed by the victory of Arab and Islamic personalities. Among them are Sudanese lawyer Saleh Mahmoud and Arab Spring symbols Asmaa Mahfouz from Egypt, Mohamed Bouazizi from Tunisia and Ahmed Al-Senussi from Libya and two Syrians, Ali Farzat and Razan Zaitouneh, and the Iranians Nasreen Sotoda, who is a lawyer, and director Jaafar Panahi, won the 2012 award, and in 2013 the Pakistani Malala Yousafzai.

The European Prize bears the name of Sakharov after the Russian physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov and has been allocated by the European Parliament since 1988 to persons and entities that contribute to the struggle for freedom and democracy...