VIDEO - AR subtitled in EN - European Parliament - Award of the 2015 Sakharov Prize: interview with Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, Laureate of the 2015 Sakharov Prize - 15.12.2023 - European Parliament, Strasbourg.
Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, Laureate of the 2015 Sakharov Prize: “Frankly, I feel that my happiness here is still incomplete. I wished to be here together with Raif and not by myself, but I hope that the future will be much better. (…)
I would like to tell them (the women in Saudi Arabia) that it is their right to work and to live exactly as other women in the world, who are on equal footing with men. I hope that they will be an active part of the society. Indeed they can be so in their community and society. We have definitely women that could get out of this unequal situation, gender situation, and I wish them serenity and success. (…)
Frankly usually I’m hopeful and I have to say that after we got this Prize my feeling was that it would be only a matter of days for Raif to be released. Undoubtedly this is an outstanding Prize and we are very honoured to have received for Raif this award as it is one of the biggest Prizes in Europe, the Sakharov Prize. I hope this will pave the way for his freedom. I don’t want to rush things but I don’t lose my hope. Raif is a peaceful person, he express himself peacefully and I hope that soon he will be released and brought back to freedom. (…)
I would like to thank all women and all countries in Europe and USA and Canada. I would like to thank all of them for giving me hope and courage to move forward. Without their support I wouldn’t be so hopeful. Given their support I really feel more optimistic and hopeful, I have the courage to go on. I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart and ask them to continue encouraging me so that I will not lose hope..”
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