Sakharov Network

Sakharov Network welcomes a new member

 

HU JIA

SAKHAROV PRIZE

2008

 

 

The Sakharov Network, consisting of 13 former winners of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, hails the European Parliament's courageous decision to award this year's Sakharov Prize to Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia, who has been detained since December 2007 for posting articles online and giving interviews to foreign journalists.

 

The Sakharov Network's members call on the Chinese government to quickly release Hu so that he can travel to Europe to receive his prize. We also ask the authorities to allow him to return with the prize to China afterwards.

 

We fervently hope that we will be able to welcome our new member when the Sakharov Prize's 20th anniversary is celebrated in December in Strasbourg.

 

The members of the Sakharov Network would like to express their support for Hu, his wife, Zeng Jiang, and their daughter. Our solidarity extends to all of China's political prisoners and their families.

The Sakharov Network reiterates the appeal it made on 16 September for the release of Aung San Su Kyi, so that she can honor the 20th anniversary celebration with her presence.

 

The appeal is signed by:

 

-           Adem Demaçi (1991 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Taslima Nasreen (1994 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Wei Jingsheng (1996 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Salima Ghezali (1997 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Dom Zacarias Kamwenho (2001 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Nurit Peled-Elhanan (2001 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Oswaldo José Paya Sardinas (2002 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Belarusian Journalist Association – BAJ (2004 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Damas en Blanco (2005 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Hauwa Ibrahim (2005 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Reporters Without Borders (2005 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Alexander Milinkevich (2006 Sakharov Prize winner)

-           Salih Mahmoud Mohamed Osman (2007 Sakharov Prize winner)