Sakharov Prize 2025: presentation of candidates

The political groups and MEPs presented their nominations for the 2025 Sakharov Prize at a joint meeting on Tuesday. The vote on the three finalists will take place in October.

The candidates for the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the highest European award for commitment to and work on human rights, are (in alphabetical order):

- Mzia Amaglobeli and the pro-democracy protest movement in Georgia, nominated by MEP Rasa Juknevičienė and 60 other MEPs;

- Budapest Pride, nominated by the Greens/European Free Alliance group; Marc Angel, Kim Van Sparrentak and 43 other members;

- Journalists and humanitarian workers in conflict areas, represented by the Palestinian Press Association, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), nominated by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group;

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

- Charlie Kirk, nominated by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group;

- Andrzej Poczobut, nominated by the European People's Party and European Conservatives and Reformists groups;

- Boualem Sansal, nominated by the Patriots for Europe group;

- Serbian students, nominated by the Renew Europe group.

The candidates were presented at a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development.

Background and next steps

Each year in September, MEPs and political groups nominate candidates for the Sakharov Prize. Each candidate must have the support of at least 40 MEPs, and each MEP can only support one candidate.

The applications are then assessed at a joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development.

A shortlist of three candidates is drawn up following a vote in the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Development in October. The shortlist is then submitted to the Conference of Presidents (composed of the President of Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the political group leaders) for a final vote.

The laureate is announced in October and the award ceremony takes place during Parliament’s December plenary session in Strasbourg.