Exhibition
Raif Badawi - 2015, Saudi Arabia
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was flogged and jailed for discussing liberal political ideas and religious topics online.
Raif is not a criminal. He is a writer and a free-thinker, that is all. Raif Badawi’s crime is being a free voice in a country that does not accept anything other than a single opinion and a single thought.
Ensaf Haidar
Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar – 2016, Iraq
Survivors of sexual enslavement by Islamic State (IS), Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar became spokespersons for women whose lives have been blighted by sexual violence, and act as advocates for Iraq’s Yazidi community.
I think that I can speak on behalf of the victims. The Sakharov Prize gives me the strength to continue. That is why I have taken the decision to become a voice for the voiceless.
Lamiya Aji Bashar
The democratic opposition in Venezuela - 2017, Venezuela
In 2017, the political opponents of the Venezuelan Government, including the National Assembly and all political prisoners, were awarded the prize for their continuing bravery in the pursuit of freedom and prosperity in Venezuela.
This award gives us more energy to continue fighting for the values and principles of democracy.
Antonio Ledezma
Oleg Sentsov - 2018, Ukraine
A Ukrainian filmmaker imprisoned in Russia, Oleg Sentsov is a source of inspiration for those who face oppression, and is a symbol of the struggle for the release of political prisoners held in Russia and around the world.
It is a huge honour, and also a huge responsibility. I accept and take this prize not as a personal honour, but as a prize for all Ukrainian political prisoners who have ever been in Russian prisons, and a prize in honour of all Ukrainian political prisoners who are still there.
Ilham Tohti - 2019, China
Ilham Tohti is an economics professor and an advocate for China’s Uyghur minority, more than a million of whom are detained in internment camps.
Do you see a problem with the way the Chinese Government is treating Uyghur people? If you see a problem, please work towards a solution!
Jewher Ilham