Since October 2020, the EU has&nbsp;progressively imposed restrictive measures&nbsp;against Belarus in response to the fraudulent nature&nbsp; presidential elections in&nbsp;2020, and the&nbsp;intimidation and violent repression&nbsp;of peaceful protesters, opposition members and journalists.&nbsp;

The democratic opposition, including the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was awarded the&nbsp;2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The Belarusian regime has became an ally&nbsp;with Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine. This includes the so-called referendum reinstating the country’s nuclear status, but also that Belarus has allowed Russian troops and weapons to move through its territory, use its airspace, refuel and store military ammunition.

Therefore, the EU has extended the sanctios package against Russia to Belarus. The EP has recently called that "all EU sanctions issued against Russia must be strictly mirrored for Belarus and implemented appropriately".

EU - Belarus

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Each nominee must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee. Signed nominations accompanied by supporting evidence are then assessed in a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Committee on Development (DEVE). A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up through a vote by AFET and DEVE committees, and then submitted to the Conference of Presidents for a final vote. The winner is announced in October, and the award ceremony takes place in December at the plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

The nominations for the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought are:

The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by the Coordination Council, initiative of brave women and political and civil society figures, nominated by EPP, S&amp;D, Renew Europe 
Mgr Najeeb Moussa Michaeel, Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq nominated by ID 
Guapinol activists and Berta Caceres in Honduras, nominated by Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL 
The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by Sviatlana Tsikhanouska, nominated by ECR 
Polish LGBTI activists Jakub Gawron, Paulina Pajak, Paweł Preneta and Kamil Maczuga, founders of the website Atlas of Hate, nominated by Malin Björk, Terry Reintke, Marc Angel, Rasmus Andresen and 39 other MEPs.

The democratic opposition in Belarus has been awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Democratic Opposition in Belarus, Sakharov Prize 2020

European Youth Event (EYE 2021) - Workshops

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Strasbourg - Belarusia - Public online conference in cooperation with the City of Strasbourg

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020- Press conference

Press conferences with Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020 laureates

EP Plenary session -Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020

EP Plenary session- Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Award Ceremony 2020

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya meeting the Belarusian diaspora

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020- David SASSOLI, EP President meets with the representatives of the democratic opposition in Belarus, laureates of the Sakharov Prize 2020.

David SASSOLI, EP President  meets with Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2020 laureates

Former Sakharov Prize laureates join the #UseYourVote campaign ahead of the European Parliament elections on 6-9 June. Svetlana TICHANOVSKAJA, Oleksandra MATVIICHUK, Lorent SALEH, Louise XIN and Leonid VOLKOV have a message for European citizens.

European elections 2024: Sakharov Prize laureates send a message to European citizens

This infoclip is a part of the video series called "European Parliament’s priorities and achievements (2019-2024)", demonstrating Parliament's unwavering commitment to human rights and democracy around the globe. Since 1988, Parliament’s Sakharov Prize recognises individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought in the world. The info clip shows illustrative material related to the five Sakharov Laureates of the 9th legislative term, namely Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti fighting for the rights of China’s Uyghur minority, the democratic opposition in Belarus, Russian opposition leader, lawyer, anti-corruption activist and political prisoner Alexei Navalny, the brave people of Ukraine as well as Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran.

European Parliament’s priorities and achievements (2019-2024): Support to democracy and human rights activities

The leader of the democratic forces of Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, will address MEPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee. She outline her views to the Foreign Affairs Committee on the war in Ukraine and the role of Belarus in the conflict, as well as comment on the latest political situation in Belarus, which is still ruled by an oppressive regime under dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

Exchange of views with Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, leader of democratic forces of Belarus and Sakharov Prize laureate 2020: extracts - EP AFET Committee in association with the Delegation for relations with Belarus

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks in the European Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg. Her visit comes amid a continuing geopolitical crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Formal sitting - Address by Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarusian opposition leader

David SASSOLI, EP President pays an official visit to Vilnius, in Lithuania where he meets with Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Sakharov laureate 2020 and Belarus opposition leader (recorded 17/08).

Official visit by David SASSOLI, EP President to Lithuania: meeting with Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Sakharov laureate 2020 and Belarus opposition leader

Formal opening of the 9th Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels. Greeting addresses by the Observers to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly: Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Democratic Representative of Belarus, Christa SCHWENG, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Aleksandra DULKIEWICZ, Mayor of Gdansk (Poland) and CORLEAP Bureau member and Irina SUKHY and Sofia STRIVE, Co-Chairs of the Eastern Partnership - Civil Society Forum. The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is a parliamentary forum to promote political association and further economic integration between the European Union and the EU's Eastern European partners.

Ninth Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly: Greeting addresses by the Observers to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly

Award ceremony of the 2020 Sakharov Prize during the plenary session (14-18/12) of the European Parliament, mainly in Brussels. The democratic opposition in Belarus is awarded in a ceremony in the European Parliament, in Brussels. David SASSOLI, EP President, makes the opening statement followed by the statement by Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Award of the Sakharov Prize 2020: opening statements by David SASSOLI, EP President, and Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition

David SASSOLI, EP President, Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA and Veranika TSAPKALA, Belarusian Democratic Opposition and laureates of the Sakharov Prize 2020, speak to the press in the European Parliament in Brussels. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Press conference by David SASSOLI, EP President, Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA and Veranika TSAPKALA, Belarusian Democratic Opposition and laureates of the Sakharov Prize 2020

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2020 (T)

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