Jina Mahsa Amini and Iranian women protest movement have been declared winners of the 2023 Sakharov Prize.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the 2023 laureate in the Strasbourg plenary chamber.
- Jina Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman. She was arrested by police in Tehran on 13 September 2022 for allegedly ignoring Iran’s strict veiling laws, and died in a Tehran hospital three days later following physical abuse while in custody. Her death sparked massive women-led protests in Iran.
- Under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”, they have been protesting against the hijab law and other discriminatory laws.
- The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament.
- It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- It is named in honour of Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov and the prize money is 50 000 euros.
