Human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman is the winner of this year’s Sakharov Prize. Osman works with the Sudan Organization Against Torture (SOAT) and for over two decades provided free legal aid to victims of human rights abuses.

The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought annually since 1988. It honours individuals or organizations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and against oppression and injustice. Previous recipients include Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Today’s decision by was announced by the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering. He said, “In the face of violence and arbitrary power, Mr Osman stands up for dialogue and justice, and there can be no democracy without justice.”

The Sudanese government imprisoned Osman for over seven months in 2004 without charge. Relatives have been killed, tortured, or burned out of their homes. On Nov. 8, 2005, Human Rights Watch awarded him its highest honour.

Osman is now a member of the Sudanese National Parliament where he is promoting the rule of law through the implementation of Sudan’s interim constitution. He has accepted the prize on behalf of the “hundreds of human rights defenders in Darfur and Sudan”

Pottering said, “By granting the Sakharov Prize to Salih Mahmoud Osman, the European Parliament shows its support for the action of this courageous man who has become the voice of Darfur, and through him, for the establishment of the rule of law in Sudan.” Osman will receive the prize to in Strasbourg on Dec. 11 along with a cheque for 50,000 euros (USD 71,500).

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