This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, the European Parliament announced the shortlist for the Sakharov Prize, a top European rights award. Among the contenders are five Kenyan students who have developed an application to help girls deal with female genital mutilation.
Stacy Owino, Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Mascrine Atieno, and Ivy Akinyi, known as the Restorers, were nominated for their innovative solution. The Sakharov Prize, worth €50,000, is awarded annually to individuals or organizations that have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy.
The European Parliament also named Ilham Tohti, a Uighur scholar imprisoned in China since 2014, on the shortlist. Tohti was previously awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe for his activism. Rights groups have accused China of a severe crackdown on the Uighur minority, with millions interned in re-education camps.
From Brazil, murdered political activist Marielle Franco, tribal chief Raoni Metuktire, and rights defender Claudelice Silva dos Santos were also nominated for the Sakharov Prize. The award is named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov and has been presented since 1988.
