ʺ16. September marked one year since the assassination of Mahsa Amini in Iran. The European Parliament is proud to support those brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, human dignity and freedom in Iran.
We are on the side of those who, even from prison, continue to fight for women, life and freedom,” says Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.
“By selecting them as 2023 Sakharov Prize laureates, Parliament honors their struggle and continues to commemorate all those who have paid the ultimate price for freedom.”
Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Kurdish woman from Iran. On September 13, 2022, she was arrested by police in Tehran for apparently flouting Iran’s strict veil laws. Three days later, she died in a Tehran hospital after being physically abused while in custody.
Mahsa Amini’s death sparked widespread protests by women in Iran under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” against the hijab law and other discriminatory laws. The Iranian regime brutally suppressed these protests, while the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the severe human rights situation in the country.
In October 2022, MEPs called for sanctions against Iranian officials involved in the death of Mahsa Amini and the regime’s repression, and expressed strong support for the peaceful protest movement in Iran.
On the other hand, in January 2023, MEPs demanded that sanctions against the Iranian regime be strengthened and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be included in the EU’s terrorist list.
The European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought every year. It was established in 1988 to honor individuals and organizations that defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It is named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov and includes a €50,000 cash prize.
Last year, the EP presented this award to the brave people of Ukraine, represented by the President of Ukraine, elected leaders and civil society.
The struggle of Iranian women for their rights was also recently honored by the Nobel Committee, which decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi, 51, remains imprisoned in Iran.
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2023-10-19 11:12:30
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