Brussels, 07/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 6 October, MEPs selected the three finalists for the 2009 Sakharov prize for human rights and democracy activists. From a shortlist of ten (see EUROPE 9987), the European Parliament foreign affairs committee and development committee announced the following finalists:
Izzeldin Abuelaish, a gynaecologist based at Jabalia, the big refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, nominated by Véronique de Keyser, Hans-Gert Pöttering, Caroline Lucas and 52 other MEPs. He has been working for two years on either side of the border between Israel and Palestine out of choice and in order to build peace.
Dawit Isaak, a Swedish journalist of Eritrean origin, nominated by the GUE/NGL Group and 32 other MEPs. He is an author and playwright and has been a political prisoner since September 2001.
Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Oleg Orlov and Sergei Kovalev, nominated to represent MEMORIAL and all other human rights activists in Russia, nominated by the Green Group.
The name of the prize winner, who will succeed Hu Jia of China (last year's Sakharov Prize winner), will be announced on 22 October after the conference of presidents of the EP's political groups. A joint meeting of the foreign affairs committee, the development committee and the human rights sub-committee with the prize-winner will be held on 14 December 2009. The prize-giving ceremony will take place at the plenary in Strasbourg on 16 December. (A.B./transl.fl)