Nadia MURAD and Lamiya AJI BASHAR, survivors of sexual enslavement by Islamic State (IS), receive the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in the hemicycle in Strasbourg. The laureates are commended by the European Parliament for acting as spokespersons for women whose lives have been blighted by sexual violence, and act as advocates for Iraq’s Yazidi community.

Strasbourg

plenary session

respect for human rights in the world (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

formal sitting

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2016 (T)

AJI BASHAR, Lamiya

MURAD BASEE, Nadia (IQ)

Address by Nadia MURAD and Lamiya AJI BASHAR, 2016 Sakharov Prize laureates, during the award ceremony

[voice-over] But first of all, the visit of Nelson MANDELA, winner of the Parliament's Sakharov Prize two years ago, was still in prison in South Africa, the highlight of his visit to Strasbourg was his address to a packed house

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We are most grateful to you all that, by your invitation, you enabled us to be here today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, But more than this, we thank you that by your ceaseless efforts and those of the millions of people you represent, you liberated from prison so many of us, including my colleagues with whom I was sentenced to life imprisonment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Your actions in pursuit of the cause of the release of all South African political prisoners and the emancipation of our people from racial bondage, have served as a vindication of the nobility of the human spirit.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, They have demonstrated the undiminished strength of the universal human conscience which guarantees the transience of all tyrannies, whether in Nazi Germany, Franco's Spain, Greece of the Colonies or apartheid South Africa.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, And so today we are engaged in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the problems facing our country. In this process we seek no advantage for our own organisation, the African National Congress.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We do not pursue any goals which would result in some emerging as winners and others as losers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We are striving to proceed in a manner and towards a result, which will ensure that all our people, both Black and White, emerge as victors.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We recognise President De Klerk and colleagues in the National Party as men and women of integrity. We believe that they speak honestly when they say they seek an end to the apartheid system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We are of the view that they are ready to honour all agreements they enter into. We are therefore prepared to work with them to arrive at a just and lasting negotiated solution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Despite everything we have said, it is important to bear in mind that we are faced with the reality that the apartheid system in our country continues.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Our people continue to die in the province of Natal as a direct result of the fact of the system of apartheid.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We continue to be ruled by a White minority government. All the other pillars of the apartheid system have not yet been removed. Police repression is still part of the reality of our daily lives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, The agreement we arrived at in our discussions with the government at the beginning of last month addresses only the issue of the removal of the obstacles to the process of negotiations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, This agreement constituted a significant step forward, not only because it will result in the removal of these obstacles, but also because it will demonstrate the good faith of the South African government.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Important as these results are, they should not blind us to the fact that they will not result in the removal of the apartheid system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Indeed, it is also of vital importance that we do not forget that there are many among our White minority domination must come to an end. Many of these are armed. They are to be found within both the army and the police.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, Others have organised and are forming themselves into armed vigilante groups. These groups are further supported by similarly armed Black killer groups.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, These armed and trained groups pose a direct threat to the negotiations which are so necessary in order to arrive at a speedy transformation of our country into a non-racial democracy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, What all this means is that the struggle against apartheid must continue.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We have not yet arrived at the situation visualised at the European community summit meeting last December and reflected in the United Nations General Assembly Declaration of the same month, when we can say that profound and irreversible changes have taken place, leading to the end of the apartheid system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, It is for this reason that we insist that the struggle must continue. To stop or to deescalate that struggle now would only have the fact of helping to perpetuate the apartheid system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, The masses of our people must therefore continue the struggle within our country. The international community shares the same obligation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, That is why we continue to call on the peoples of the world to maintain sanctions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We address the same call to this August parliament with all the force and authority at our command. Sanctions were imposed as a peaceful means of ensuring the end of the apartheid system.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, As we have said, this result has not yet been achieved. It is therefore only logical that the existing sanctions should be kept in place.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nelson MANDELA, Leader of the African National Congress, We would like to issue this serious warning that any movement backwards on this issue will threaten the process of negotiations itself.

[Voice-over] And afterwards, Mr Mandela gave a press conference, his wife Winnie at his side, he was asked his plans for the transition of [...] in South Africa