European Parliament Discusses Elections in Belarus, May Announce Sakharov Award Winners
Today the European Parliament is discussing the parliamentary elections in Belarus. A resolution is planned to be adopted after the debates.
It is also expected that the MPs will announce the winner of the Sakharov Award. One of the nominees is Belarusian human rights advocate Alies Bialiacki who is currently serving his 4½-year prison sentence.
The other shortlisted candidates are the members of Russian feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot and iranians Nasrin Sotoudeh and Jafar Panah.
All the nominees are currently imprisoned and recognised to be the prisoners of conscience.
The award is to be presented to the winner on December 12.
Earlier this year, Alies Bialiacki was awarded with US Department of State 2011 Human Rights Defenders Award and 2012 Lech Wałęsa Award.