Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life Freedom Movement in Iran win the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2023

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament welcomes today’s decision by the Conference of Presidents to award the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2023 to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life Freedom Movement in Iran proposed by our political group together with EPP and S&D.

Mahsa Amini has become a symbol for all the strong and courageous women of Iran, who started a protest movement under the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”), fighting for civil rights for all women and for an end to oppression, discrimination, tyranny, and dictatorship.

The young Kurdish woman visiting Tehran, died last year after being arrested over an "inadequate" hijab and beaten by the morality police, who is now back on the streets to enforce the very strict rules of the mullah's regime.

Renew Europe Group President, Stéphane Séjourné, said:

“At a time when our universal values of human dignity seem in danger, we must recognise the exceptional character of the first feminist revolution of our history.

In the darkness of the tyrannical religious dictatorship of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the courage of Jina Mahsa Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom Movement brought back light to a whole nation.

With this Prize, we want to make sure that light won’t fade away. The European Parliament is sending a clear message: her fight is our fight. The fight of the thousands of murdered, tortured and imprisoned Iranians is our fight.”

The award ceremony for this year’ Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will take place during plenary in Strasbourg, on the 13th of December 2023, at 12.00.