Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny wins EU’s Sakharov Prize

The jailed Kremlin critic was awarded the EU’s top human rights prize for fighting ‘tirelessly against the corruption of Vladimir Putin’s regime’

Navalny, 45, who was poisoned in August 2020, is serving a prison sentence but Russia has denied he was jailed for his political activities

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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stands inside a glass cell during a court hearing at the Babushkinsky district court in Moscow in February. He has been awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for human rights. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 20 Oct 2021Updated: 10:00pm, 20 Oct 2021

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was awarded the European Parliament’s annual human rights prize on Wednesday for his efforts to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.

Navalny, 45, who was poisoned in August 2020 by what Western nations said was a nerve agent, is serving a two-and-a-half year sentence for parole violations he calls trumped up.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian officials over Navalny’s poisoning and imprisonment.

Moscow denies any wrongdoing and accuses the EU of interfering in its domestic affairs. It has also denied Western accusations that Navalny was jailed for his political activities and said he was punished for breaking the law.

“He has fought tirelessly against the corruption of Vladimir Putin’s regime. This cost him his liberty and nearly his life. Today’s prize recognises his immense bravery and we reiterate our call for his immediate release,” the European Parliament said as it announced Navalny as the winner.

Past winners of the €50,000 (US$59,000) Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, include former South African president Nelson Mandela, Venezuela’s democratic opposition and Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.