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The European Parliamentâs Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought began in 1988 to âhonour exceptional individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms,â according to the European Parliament. Previous winners have included Belarusian opposition figures, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.
âHe has fought tirelessly against the corruption of Vladimir Putinâs regime. This cost him his liberty and nearly his life,â European Parliament President David Sassoli said announcing Navalnyâs win. âTodayâs prize recognizes his immense bravery and we reiterate our call for his immediate release.â
Kremlin authorities have launched an unprecedented crackdown on the political movement Navalny has led since the late 2000s. He gained prominence for investigations by his Anti-Corruption Foundation, which have alleged extensive corruption among the political elite, including Putin.
Political pundits had speculated that Navalny may have been in the running for the much-coveted Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, which instead went to Russian compatriot and newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov, alongside investigative journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines. Navalny at the time congratulated both.
In a move likely to spark criticism by the Kremlin, the leaders of the European Parliament picked the Russian figure instead of other nominees, which included a group of Afghan women and an imprisoned Bolivian politician.
Despite being barred from running for president against Putin â or any other office since 2013 when he was runner up in Moscow mayoral elections â Navalny has still managed to pose a political threat to Putin and the network of powerful oligarchs who dominate the economy.
The prize is worth 50,000 euros ($58,000) and is normally presented at a ceremony on Dec. 15 in Strasbourg.
Robyn Dixon in Moscow contributed to this report.
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