The European Parliament (EP) today declared Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas as the winner of the 2010 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The announcement was made by the President of the EP Jerzy Buzek.

Guillermo Fariñas, aged 48, was nominated in the name of all those who fight in Cuba for freedom and human rights. He is a doctor of psychology, an independent journalist and a political dissident. He has conducted 23 hunger strikes over the years and ended his latest 135 day hunger strike on 8 July 2010 after the Havana government announced the release of 52 political prisoners following mediation by the Catholic Church.

According to the 91 MEPs who nominated him, Mr Farinas is a supporter of non-violence and someone who dared to denounce the Castro regime.

The EP described him as a symbol in the struggle against the imprisonment of political opponents.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament as a means to honour individuals or organisations who dedicate their lives to the defence of human rights and freedoms, particularly the right to freedom of expression.

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