The European Parliament has nominated Russian slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko for the 2015 Sakharov Prize.
The prize is awarded every year “to honor exceptional individuals who combat intolerance, fanaticism and oppression,” the parliament said Thursday in an online statement.
Edward Snowden, the U.S. intelligence leaker who has received asylum in Russia, is also among the seven nominees for the 50,000-euro award, the parliament said.
Nemtsov — the first deputy prime minister under former President Boris Yeltsin and once his likely successor — was a vocal critic of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
He was shot and killed near the Kremlin on the night of Feb. 27, while working on a report exposing Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict between separatists in eastern Ukraine and Kiev government troops.
Savchenko, the pilot, was captured last year by pro-Moscow forces in eastern Ukraine and handed over to Russia where she is on trial on charges of abetting the killing of two Russian journalists.
She has been celebrated as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance at home, and was elected to both the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and to the Ukrainian parliament while in prison.
The winner of the prize — named after Russian nuclear physicist, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov — will be announced in October.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
