On Wednesday 12 December, the Parliament awarded its 2018 Sakharov Prize to Oleg Sentsov, who was represented by his cousin and lawyer (see EUROPE 12125).
The Ukrainian filmmaker was sentenced to 20 years in prison, officially for "terrorism", for opposing the illegal annexation of Crimea. He is imprisoned beyond the Arctic Circle in Russia.
Mr Sentsov represents “determination and commitment to human rights and dignity, democracy and respect for the rule of law”, summarised European Parliament President Antonio Tajani in front of MEPs waving signs saying ‘Free Oleg Sentsov’.
Looking back on her cousin's journey, Natalia Kaplan recalled that he had been involved in the events in Maidan and then in the Crimea before becoming the symbol of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia. "During his 145-day hunger strike, no prisoners were released, but he did not lose the fight. Thanks to him, everyone knew what was happening in Russia, and he drew attention to Ukrainian political prisoners", said Ms. Kaplan.
She also read a message from Oleg Sentsov to the Parliament, in which he declared that speech is sometimes the only means of communication and that it can be used to capitulate or to continue fighting. According to the filmmaker, if contemporaries are not always fair, history is. Believing that receiving a prize named for Sakharov was "too great an honour" for him, Mr. Sentsov hoped to have "time to do something to feel that he had earned this prize". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)