Sakharov Prize 2024: presentation of candidates

Political groups presented their candidates for Sakharov Prize 2024 during a joint committee meeting on Thursday. The three finalists will be selected in October.

The candidates for the 2024 Sakharov Prize, the highest tribute paid by the EU to human rights work, are:

- María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, representing all Venezuelans inside and outside the country fighting for the re-institution of freedom and democracy, Venezuela, nominated by the EPP group ;

- “Women wage peace" and "Women of the sun" and their co-founders Yael Admi and Reem Hajajreh, Israel/Palestine, nominated by the S&D group;

- Elon Musk, United States, nominated by the Patriots for Europe group;

- Edmundo González Urrutia, Venezuela, nominated by the ECR group;

- Women Wage Peace & Women of the Sun, Israel/Palestine, nominated by the Renew Europe group;

- Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, Azerbaijan, nominated by The Greens/EFA group;

- Journalists in Palestine (Hamza & Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad, Shireen Abu Akleh and Ain Media in honour of Yasser Murtaja & Roshdi Sarraj), Palestine, nominated by The Left group;

- Elon Musk, United States, nominated by Europe of Sovereign nations group.

The candidates were presented today in a joint meeting held by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development.

Background and next steps

Awarded for the first time in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work. It gives recognition to individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought. It promotes in particular freedom of expression, the rights of minorities, respect for international law, the development of democracy and the implementation of the rule of law. In 2023, the prize was awarded to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran.

On 19 September, MEPs and political groups nominated their candidates for the Sakharov Prize. Each nominee must have the support of at least one political group or 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee.

A shortlist of three candidates will be drawn up through a vote by the Foreign Affairs and Development committees on 17 October. The final winner or winners of the Sakharov Prize are chosen by the Conference of Presidents, a European Parliament body led by the president, which includes the leaders of all the political groups represented in the Parliament, making the choice of laureates a truly European choice. This year, the Conference of Presidents will choose the winning laureate on 24 October. The award ceremony will take place on 18 December, during a plenary sitting in Strasbourg.