Chinese political activist wins Freedom of Thought award
Hu Jia, a prominent Chinese human rights activist and dissident, is the winner of this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. China’s ambassador to the EU had warned that selecting Hu Jia would, “bring serious damage to China-EU relations.” China issued a similar warning to Norway when Hu Jia was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize annually since 1988. The prize 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. The prize is worth 50,000 Euros (US$65,000).
Born Jul. 25, 1973, in Beijing, Hu Jia graduated from the Beijing School of Economics majoring in information engineering. In Jan. 2006, he married Zeng Jinyan. They have a one-year-old daughter.
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