On October 25, the European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize, which rewards individuals or organisations that have made a strong commitment to the fight for human rights, to filmmaker Oleg Sentsov for his work in Ukraine.

Oleg Sentsov’s commitment to denounce Russia’s annexation of Crimea has led to violent repression by Russia. He was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for « terrorist acts » after an alleged fire in the premises of a pro-Russian organisation. In May 2018, he began a hunger strike for the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners arrested by Russia. His conditions of detention and arbitrary arrest by the Russian government have earned him the support of many states and human rights organizations.

Vladimir Putin denounces a political decision by the European Parliament, which clearly shows the EU commitment to human rights in Ukraine and his opposition to Putin on the Ukrainian issue.

Source :

RTBF : https://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_l-ukrainien-oleg-sentsov-opposant-russe-obtient-le-prix-sakharov?id=10056054

RTBF : https://www.rtbf.be/info/medias/detail_prix-sakharov-a-sentsov-moscou-denonce-une-decision-totalement-politisee?id=10056526