Rights prize winner urges EU to keep pressure on Russia
(STRASBOURG) - Russian activist Sergei Kovalev urged the EU to put pressure on Moscow to respect human rights, as he received the annual Sakharov prize from the European parliament on Wednesday.
"Europe's task is to not remain silent, but to always insist that Russia respects its obligations" on human rights, Kovalev told the parliament in Strasbourg.
"To not call on Russia to do so would be interpreted as indulgence by the Russian authorities. That would be bad for Russia and for Europe as a whole," the 79-year-old former Soviet prisoner warned.
Europe's policy towards Moscow should be "firm and friendly" so that Russia respects fundamental freedoms, he added.
The EU parliament's Polish president, Jerzy Buzek, declared himself "proud" that the MEPs had decided to honour Kovalev and fellow dissidents Lyudmila Alexeyeva and Oleg Orlov, on behalf of his Memorial group and all other human rights defenders in Russia.
"Human rights defenders in Russia are awaiting liberty, they are waiting for European Union support, and we are awarding this prize today to all Russian citizens," said Buzek.
The prize was also awarded in memory of murdered activist Natalya Estemirova.
Estemirova, 50, a vocal critic of human rights abuses in Chechnya, was found dead in the Republic of Ingushetia in Russia's southern Caucasus region in July, after being kidnapped in neighbouring Chechnya the same day.
She was a close associate of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was assassinated in 2006 in Moscow.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev praised Estemirova after the killing for exposing uncomfortable truths as his country faced international pressure to find those responsible.
But a Russian court earlier this month ordered Memorial to retract its accusation that Chechnya's controversial leader Ramzan Kadyrov was responsible for the murder of Estemirova in July.
The Moscow court ordered Memorial chief Orlov -- who had stated that he was sure Kadyrov was guilty -- and the group to pay a total of 70,000 rubles (some 1,500 euros or 2,300 dollars) in compensation for damaging the Chechen leader's honour and reputation.
The Sakharov Prize, named after late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, is in its 21st year.
It comes with a cash award of 50,000 euros (64,150 dollars).
Chinese dissident Hu Jia, a campaigner for civil rights, environmental protection and AIDS advocacy, won the prize last year.
Previous winners also include Nelson Mandela, Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi and former United Nations chief Kofi Annan.
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