Poland bestows imprisoned filmmaker Sentsov with 'For Human Dignity' award
Poland bestowed the eighth annual Pro Dignitate Humana (“For Human Dignity”) award to Oleh Sentsov who has been illegally imprisoned in Russia, stated Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin.
The award was founded by former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski in 2011. Klimkin stressed that the filmmaker deserves the award not only because he is a political prisoner but also because the aim of his hunger strike was the release of all Ukrainian and Russian political prisoners.
In September, the European Parliament made Sentsov a candidate for the Sakharov Prize. His candidacy was supported by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The winner will be chosen by the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani and leaders of political groups on October 25.
On September 18 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also nominated Sentsov for the Nobel Peace Prize.