Brussels, 12/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - The names of the five nominees for the European Parliament Sakharov Prize 2007 ware announced to the press at a joint meeting of the foreign affairs committee, development committee and human rights sub-committee on Tuesday 11 September. The Sakharov Prize, which has been awarded by the EP since 1988, recognises individuals who or organisations which have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy. The names of this year's candidates are: Bartholomew (ecumenical Patriarch and defender of religious freedom in Turkey), nominated by the ITS group; Zeng Jinyan and Hu Jia (Chinese human rights defenders), nominated by the Greens/EFA group; Malalai Joya (Afghan MP and defender of women's rights in Afghanistan), nominated by the GUE/NGL group; Salih Mahmoud Osman (Sudanese human rights lawyer), nominated by the ALDE group; and, finally, posthumously, Anna Politkovskaya (Russian journalist and human rights activist), nominated by the EPP-ED group. The foreign affairs committee will draw up a shortlist of three on 24 September. The Conference of Presidents of the political groups, meeting on 25 October, will then select the winner. (ab)