Belarus opposition leader Aleksander Milinkevich has won the European Parliament's annual human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, for his work in galvanising pro-democracy campaigners in a climate of fear under president Aleksander Lukashenko's regime.
Mr Milinkevich could not be contacted on Thursday (26 October), but fellow human rights campaigner Irina Krasvoskaya speaking to EUobserver by phone from Minsk said "I am so excited! Milinkevich is a brave man. But this award is for ever...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.