Afghan activists nominated for Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

The Social Democratic Group in the European Parliament announced Wednesday that it will nominate a group of Afghan women in the fields of activism, politics, teaching and journalism, among others, as candidates for the European Parliament's annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) urged the other groups in the European Parliament to support this nomination to "put Afghan women and girls at the top of the international agenda" because of the situation in which their rights are left after the Taliban took over the country in August.

The nominated women "have fought for women's rights, including in the areas of education and political participation, and were part of political and associational life in Afghanistan" before this summer's crisis, the group said in a statement.

"We strongly believe that this year's Sakharov prize should honour Afghan women who have courageously fought for equality and the full enjoyment of human and fundamental rights, including the promotion of education and access to work and the prevention of gender-based violence, including unacceptable practices such as forced marriage," said the group's president, Iratxe García, who is from Spain.

The other groups in Parliament have not yet nominated their candidates for the award, whose final winner will be announced at the December plenary session, and which has honoured individuals and organisations around the world for their contribution to human rights and the protection of freedom of conscience since 1988

In recent years, the prize has gone to the Belarusian opposition to Alexander Lukashenko, Uighur dissidents in China, the Venezuelan opposition and two Yazidi refugee women victims of Daesh violence.