Navalny, Afghan women among those under consideration for EU human rights prize

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and a group of Afghan women, including journalists, human rights activists and cultural figures, are among those under consideration for a human rights prize from the European Union. 

The Sakharov Prize, the E.U.’s top human rights prize, will be awarded Dec. 15 in France, but the winner of the 50,000-euro prize will be announced Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. 

Navalny is on the shortlist for the prize after he suffered from a poison attack in 2020 and was arrested by Russian authorities after returning to the country in Jan. 

He is still in prison as Russia said he broke his parole by leaving the country to get treatment in Germany after the poison attack, which Navalny says was conducted by the Russian government.

Navalny has continued to advocate for Russia from prison and encouraged people to vote against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party in the parliamentary elections in September.

Afghan women are also high up on the list as their rights are at risk in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country in August. 

Although the Taliban claimed it was going to treat women better, the group has stopped many women from going to work and has hindered education for young girls.

When the Taliban was in control of the country in the 1990s, women were barred from work and education. 

The other final nominee for the award is imprisoned Bolivian former interim president Jeanine Anez.