Monday

4th Dec 2023

Jina Amini and Iranian women win 2023 Sakharov Prize 

  • The award will be given posthumously, after Jina Amini died in police custody in Iran (Photo: Wikimedia)
Listen to article

Jina Mahsa Amini and the women's movement in Iran have won this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Parliament announced on Thursday (19 October), with the winner receiving widespread acclaim.

"These brave women, men & young people have inspired the world through their fight for equality, liberty and dignity," said EU parliament president Roberta Metsola.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, died in a hospital in Tehran after being arrested for ignoring Iran's veiling laws in September 2022.

Her death sparked widespread protests in the country under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" — but also beyond.

"Her fight for freedom and gender rights in Iran is still alive, and her example will continue to inspire many other women around the world," said Socialists & Democrats group leader Spanish MEP Iratxe García Pérez.

"[Even] if she gets the prize posthumously, it is not only for her but it is indeed for all women and men who support this cause of freedom in the country," said MEP German Michael Gahler, from the centre-right European People's Party.

He said the prize will encourage them to continue fighting for freedom.

"We honour Jina Mahsa Amini's bravery, as she gave her life to defend women's rights, and we salute the Iranian women who carry on her fight," said EU council president Charles Michel.

"Their dedication inspires us in our struggle for equal rights and freedom."

This year's Sakharov Prize symbolises the universal fight for freedom, said Belarusian opposition leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose country received the Sakharov Prize in 2020.

Green German MEP Hannah Neumann described the prize as "a strong sign that this house stands in unwavering solidarity with all those fighting for a free and democratic Iran."

The European Parliament in Strasbourg is set to host the award ceremony on 13 December.

The Sakharov Prize is the special prize the parliament gives to a person or an organisation each year in support of their causes. It was first launched in 1988.

The prize amount totals €50,000.

Last year, the parliament's prize honoured Ukrainians — with their president, elected officials, and civil society as their representatives.

Opinion

Iran's compulsory veiling law is a despicable assault on women

To this day, not a single Iranian official has been held accountable for ordering, planning and committing widespread and systematic human rights violations against women and girls through the implementation of compulsory veiling.

Column

The Iranian regime's expiration date

This 'headscarf revolution' is about women's rights and human rights in general, plus police brutality. Moreover, it is a leaderless revolution that is not driven by a leader or a group, but erupted spontaneously.

Opinion

The EU's U-turn on caged farm animals — explained

A European citizens' initiative — signed by 1.4 million people — saw the EU Commission promise to ban cages for 300 million farmed animals. Then the farming lobby got involved.

Opinion

'Pay or okay?' — Facebook & Instagram vs the EU

Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.

Latest News

  1. Afghanistan is a 'forever emergency,' says UN head
  2. EU public procurement reform 'ineffective', find auditors
  3. COP28 warned over-relying on carbon capture costs €27 trillion
  4. Optimising Alzheimer's disease health care pathways across Europe
  5. Georgian far-right leader laughs off potential EU sanctions
  6. The EU's U-turn on caged farm animals — explained
  7. EU-China summit and migration files in focus This WEEK
  8. COP28 debates climate finance amid inflated accounting 'mess'

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us