It will be a very busy week in Strasbourg and Brussels. From today to Thursday, the French city will host the plenary meeting of the European Parliament. On the Belgian capital’s agenda, on December 14th and 15th, is instead the European Council, which is the summit of the 27 Heads of State and Government of the EU. The highlight of the Assembly’s week will be tomorrow: at 11.30am President Roberta Metsola will award the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Jina Mahsa Amini and to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement in Iran.
Jina Mahsa Amini was a Kurdish Iranian 22-year-old woman who died in September 2022 from physical abuse at the hands of the Iranian security services while she was in prison. Her death sparked off huge rallies among women in Iran, protesting against the Hijab law and other discriminating laws. As we have learnt in the last few days, the woman’s family has been forbidden to leave Iran to go and take the Prize.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, dedicated to the memory of Soviet dissident and politician Andrei Sakharov, is awarded every year by the European Parliament. It was first established in 1988 to pay tribute to the people and organisations that defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Also tomorrow, in the afternoon, the MEPs will look at the latest developments of the war in the Gaza Strip in a debate with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.
On Wednesday morning, the day before the European Council, the MEPs will submit their requests and expectations in a debate with the EU Council and the EU Commission.