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LIOUDMILA ALEXEÏEVA

2010

In 2010, there were nine nominations from political groups or at least 40 Members245_:

• ACCESS, a citizen movement that helps human rights defenders to protect their online communications and to access information despite the censorship imposed in their countries by repressive regimes. Nominated by the ALDE Group.

• Haytham Al-Maleh, a prominent Syrian human rights lawyer who was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in 2010 at the age of 80. Nominated by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) and 44 others.

• Breaking the Silence (BTS), an Israeli NGO established in 2004 by soldiers and veterans of the Israeli armed forces with the aim of collecting testimonies on military service in the Palestinian territories occupied during the second Intifada. Nominated by Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, on behalf of the Verts/ ALE Group, and by Lothar Bisky, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group.

• Guillermo Fariñas, a Cuban psychologist, independent journalist and political dissident committed to promoting human rights in Cuba. Having staged 23 hunger strikes over the years in protest against the Cuban regime, he had stated that he was willing to die in the struggle against censorship in Cuba. Nominated, ‘on behalf of all those who fight in Cuba for freedom and human rights’, by Joseph Daul, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa and Francisco José Millán Mon, on behalf of the PPE Group, by the ECR Group and by Edvard Kožušník (ECR) and 91 others.

• Aminatou Haidar, a Sahrawi non-violent activist for the independence of Western Sahara. She was also President of the CODESA (Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders). Nominated by Norbert Neuser (S&D), Willy Meyer (GUE/ NGL), Raül Romeva i Rueda (Verts/ALE) and 40 others.

• Dawit Isaak, an Eritrean-Swedish journalist, writer and playwright, imprisoned since 2001 in Eritrea for political reasons. Nominated by Olle Schmidt (ALDE), Cecilia Wikström (ALDE), Marit Paulsen (ALDE), Lena Ek (ALDE) and 37 others. • Birtukan Mideksa, an Ethiopian female politician and former judge. She was the

leader of the opposition party UDJ (Unity for Democracy and Justice) and had been a political prisoner since 2008. Nominated by Martin Schulz, on behalf of the S&D Group.

• Father Thadeus Nguyên Văn Lý, a Vietnamese Catholic priest and non-violent promoter of human rights. Nominated by the ECR Group.

• Open Doors, a denominational Christian mission created in 1955 with the aim of supporting persecuted Christians around the world. Nominated by the ECR Group.

At the meeting of 5 October 2010246_{, the relevant committees announced the}

nominations for the Sakharov Prize and subsequently voted at the meeting of 18

245 Notice to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Development and the Subcommittee on Human Rights of 28 September 2010, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/home.html

246 Minutes of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 5 October 2010, p. 3,

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/home.html

25 YEARS OF THE SAKHAROV PRIZE: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT UPHOLDING FREEDOM OF THOUGHT

October 2010247_{. The three nominees selected were: Breaking the Silence, Guillermo}

Fariñas and Birtukan Mideksa.

At its meeting of 21 October 2010248_{, the Conference of Presidents decided to award}

the 2010 Sakharov Prize to Guillermo Fariñas. After the meeting, the President, Mr

Buzek, announced the name of the winner in plenary249_{: ‘Guillermo Fariñas [was] ready}

to sacrifice and risk his own health and life as a means of pressure to achieve change in Cuba. He used hunger strikes to protest and to challenge the lack of freedom of speech in Cuba, carrying the hopes of all those who care for freedom, human rights and democracy.’

The 2010 award ceremony took place on 15 December 2010. However, Guillermo Fariñas’ chair remained empty: the prize winner had not received authorisation to leave Cuba. In his absence, President Buzek laid his certificate on an empty chair with a Cuban flag draped over it, and a prerecorded speech by the winner was played.

In his speech, Mr Buzek highlighted the strength of people like Guillermo Fariñas, of whom it could be said that, although they were persecuted and imprisoned, ‘their voice cannot be silenced’. He added that ‘the role of the European Parliament and the

role of every one of us is to strengthen that voice’.250

In his message, Guillermo Fariñas thanked the European Parliament for not abandoning the Cuban people and for not forgetting the sufferings endured in more than 50 years of struggle for democracy. He stressed that Cuba should fulfill five conditions before Europe changes its position on the country: 1) proceed with the release of all political prisoners and conscientious objectors; 2) immediately stop all violent repression of peaceful opposition; 3) announce the review and repeal of Cuban laws which are inconsistent with the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; 4) authorise, in everyday practice, independent opposition parties, media and unions; 5) publicly accept that Cubans living in diaspora have the right to participate

in the country’s social, political, economic and cultural life.251

On 3 July 2013, Guillermo Fariñas, accompanied by his mother, was finally welcomed at Parliament in Strasbourg and the 2010 Sakharov Prize was personally awarded to him at the plenary session. He thanked Parliament for the prize, declaring: ‘We are the change.’ He raised his fist at the end of his speech, signalling the strength of hope, the

hope of one day living in a democratic Cuba.252

247 Minutes of the Committee on Development of 18 October 2010, p. 1,

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/home.html

248 Minutes of the Conference of Presidents of 21 October 2010, p. 13.

249 Speech by President Buzek, European Parliament debates of 21 October 2010. 250 Speech by President Buzek, European Parliament debates of 15 December 2010.

251 Recorded message by Guillermo Fariñas, European Parliament debates of 15 December 2010. 252 European Parliament debates of 3 July 2013.

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CHAPTER V

President Buzek places the certificate awarded to the 2010 winner, Guillermo Fariñas, on an empty chair covered with the Cuban flag at the award

www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharov

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