Sakharov Prize facts for kids
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is a special award for people or groups who have worked hard to protect human rights and the freedom to think and speak freely. It's often just called the Sakharov Prize. The prize is named after a Russian scientist and activist named Andrei Sakharov. The European Parliament started this award in December 1988.
Each year, the European Parliament's committees for foreign affairs and development choose a few people or groups who might win. Then, the leaders of the European Parliament make the final decision in October. The winner gets the award at a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, in December. The prize also comes with €50,000 (about $54,000 USD).
The first winners in 1988 were Nelson Mandela from South Africa and Anatoly Marchenko from Russia. In 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi won, but she couldn't get her award until 2013 because she was held as a political prisoner in her home country, Myanmar. Groups can also win, like the Argentine Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in 1992. Some Sakharov Prize winners have also won the Nobel Peace Prize, including Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege, and Nadia Murad.
Some winners have faced difficulties. Razan Zaitouneh (2011) went missing in 2013. Nasrin Sotoudeh (2012) was released from prison but cannot leave Iran, just like her fellow 2012 winner, Jafar Panahi.
Who Has Won the Sakharov Prize?
![]() |
Means the award was given after the person had passed away. |
---|
Year | Picture | Winner | Country | What they are known for | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | ![]() |
Nelson Mandela | ![]() |
Fought against unfair racial segregation and became the first President of South Africa. | |
Anatoly Marchenko ![]() |
![]() |
A Russian activist and writer who spoke out for human rights. | |||
1989 | ![]() |
Alexander Dubček | ![]() |
A Slovak politician who tried to bring more freedom to his country. | |
1990 | ![]() |
Aung San Suu Kyi | ![]() |
A politician known for her peaceful fight against military rule in Myanmar. She accepted her award in 2013 after being held for many years. | |
1991 |
|
Adem Demaçi | ![]() |
A politician from Kosovo who was held as a political prisoner for a long time. | |
1992 | ![]() |
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo | ![]() |
A group of mothers in Argentina whose children disappeared during a difficult time in their country's history. | |
1993 | ![]() |
Oslobođenje | ![]() |
A newspaper that supported Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country for all ethnic groups. | |
1994 | ![]() |
Taslima Nasrin | ![]() |
A feminist writer and former doctor. | |
1995 | ![]() |
Leyla Zana | ![]() |
A Kurdish politician from Turkey who was imprisoned for her political activities. | |
1996 | ![]() |
Wei Jingsheng | ![]() |
An activist who supported democracy in China. | |
1997 | ![]() |
Salima Ghezali | ![]() |
A journalist and writer who champions women's rights and democracy in Algeria. | |
1998 | ![]() |
Ibrahim Rugova | ![]() |
A Kosovo Albanian politician and the first President of Kosovo. | |
1999 | ![]() |
Xanana Gusmão | ![]() |
A former freedom fighter who became the first President of East Timor. | |
2000 |
|
¡Basta Ya! | ![]() |
An organization in Spain that brings people together against violence. | |
2001 | ![]() |
Nurit Peled-Elhanan | ![]() |
A peace activist. | |
Izzat Ghazzawi | ![]() |
A writer and professor. | |||
![]() |
Dom Zacarias Kamwenho | ![]() |
An archbishop and peace activist. | ||
2002 | Oswaldo Payá | ![]() |
A political activist and critic of the government. | ||
2003 | ![]() |
Kofi Annan | ![]() |
A Nobel Peace Prize winner and former leader of the United Nations. | |
![]() |
United Nations | International | |||
2004 |
|
Belarusian Association of Journalists | ![]() |
A group that works to protect freedom of speech and the rights of journalists. | |
2005 | ![]() |
Ladies in White | ![]() |
A group of women in Cuba who protest for the release of political prisoners. | |
![]() |
Reporters Without Borders | International | A group based in France that works for press freedom around the world. | ||
![]() |
Hauwa Ibrahim | ![]() |
A lawyer who defends human rights. | ||
2006 | ![]() |
Alaksandar Milinkievič | ![]() |
A politician who ran for president in Belarus to represent the opposition. | |
2007 | ![]() |
Salih Mahmoud Osman | ![]() |
A lawyer who defends human rights. | |
2008 | ![]() |
Hu Jia | ![]() |
An activist and government critic. | |
2009 |
|
Memorial | ![]() |
An international group that works for civil rights and studies history. | |
2010 | ![]() |
Guillermo Fariñas | ![]() |
A doctor, journalist, and political activist. | |
2011 | ![]() |
Asmaa Mahfouz | ![]() |
Five people who represented the Arab people's fight for freedom and human rights. | |
![]() |
Ahmed al-Senussi | ![]() |
|||
![]() |
Razan Zaitouneh | ![]() |
|||
![]() |
Ali Farzat | ||||
Mohamed Bouazizi ![]() |
![]() |
||||
2012 | ![]() |
Jafar Panahi | ![]() |
Iranian activists: Sotoudeh is a lawyer, and Panahi is a film director. | |
![]() |
Nasrin Sotoudeh | ||||
2013 | ![]() |
Malala Yousafzai | ![]() |
A young activist who campaigns for girls' right to education. | |
2014 | ![]() |
Denis Mukwege | ![]() |
A doctor who helps women who have been harmed in conflict. | |
2015 | ![]() |
Raif Badawi | ![]() |
A Saudi Arabian writer and activist who created a website for free discussion. | |
2016 | ![]() |
Nadia Murad | ![]() |
Yazidi human rights activists who survived difficult experiences. | |
![]() |
Lamiya Aji Bashar | ||||
2017 | ![]() |
Democratic opposition in Venezuela | ![]() |
Members of Venezuela's National Assembly and political prisoners, recognized for their bravery in facing government actions. | |
2018 | ![]() |
Oleg Sentsov | ![]() |
A film director who represents the fight for the release of political prisoners. | |
2019 | ![]() |
Ilham Tohti | ![]() |
A Uyghur economist, scholar, and human rights activist. | |
2020 | ![]() |
Democratic opposition in Belarus | ![]() |
People who are working for democracy in Belarus, including leaders and activists. | |
2021 | ![]() |
Alexei Navalny | ![]() |
A Russian politician and activist who fights against corruption. | |
2022 | ![]() |
The Ukrainian people | ![]() |
Recognized for protecting democracy, freedom, and the rule of law during a difficult time. | |
2023 | ![]() |
Mahsa Jina Amini ![]() |
![]() |
Mahsa Amini's passing led to many protests, often using the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom." | |
![]() |
Woman, Life, Freedom movement | ||||
2024 | ![]() |
María Corina Machado | ![]() |
Opposition politicians. | |
![]() |
Edmundo González |
Other Awards Like This
In Spanish: Premio Sájarov para niños
- Nobel Peace Prize
- Gandhi Peace Prize
- Mosaddegh Prize