2005 Sakharov Prize

This year's winners of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought are the Cuban opposition movement Damas de Blanco, the Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and the international organisation "Reporters without Borders. The decision to award the prize jointly to all three was taken by the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament.

Damas de Blanco, or Women in White, hold peaceful demonstrations every Sunday against the detention of their husbands and sons, who are imprisoned for political reasons in Cuba.

Hauwa Ibrahim is a lawyer defending women, who face the death penalty by stoning for adultery in Nigeria. He also defends young people who face amputation for theft under Islamic Sharia law.

Reporters without Borders campaigns for press freedom throughout the world and their defence of journalists against censorship and harassment.