European Parliament party leaders have today awarded their top human rights prize to Chinese activist Hu Jia.
Mr Hu, who was jailed after testifying to the EU assembly, has been selected for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by party leaders of the EU assembly.
Announcing the award, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering said: “By awarding the Sakharov Prize to Hu Jia the European Parliament firmly and resolutely acknowledges the daily struggle for freedom of all Chinese human rights defenders.”
The prize ceremony will take place in Strasbourg on December 17th. In addition to the title, the winner receives a cash award.
Mr Hu, a campaigner for civil rights, environmental protection and Aids advocacy, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in China in April. Mr Hu, in his mid-30s, had already spent many months under house arrest with his wife and child.
He was arrested and charged with "inciting subversion of state power" following his testimony on human rights in China via conference call to the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee on November 26th last year.
His jailing drew condemnation from Washington, across Europe and from human rights advocates.
The announcement of the award comes a day before EU leaders are due to meet Chinese counterparts at the Asia-Europe Meeting summit in Beijing and is likely to anger China.
The Chinese government described Mr Hu as an undeserving criminal when he was seen as a candidate for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
It said awarding him the Nobel, which eventually went to former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, would be seen as meddling in China's domestic affairs, judicial independence and sovereignty.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honour of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded by the European Parliament every year since 1988 to individuals or organisations who have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy.
Previous winners include Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Additional reporting Reuters
