صراط عشق صراط عشق
Dozens of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have nominated slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the EU’s highest honour for human rights defenders.
The 43 EU MPs, issued a statement on Friday which read, “Shireen Abu Akleh was one of the most prominent reporters in the Arab-speaking world […] A strong believer in freedom of expression, she chose journalism to be close to the people.”
If Abu Akleh receives the award posthumously, it will be the first time a Palestinian wins it.
Former awardees include Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela and Alexei Navalny.
Shireen’s niece, Lina Abu Akleh, thanked the MEPs in a tweet:
“Thank you Grace O’Sullivan and all MEPs who joined their efforts in nominating Shireen Abu Akleh for this honorary award nomination,” Lina Abu Akleh tweeted.
The Al Jazeera journalist was wearing a helmet and protective vest with the word “Press” when she was shot in the head in May by Israeli forces while covering a raid in the occupied West Bank.
