THE LEGACY OF ANDREI SAKHAROV
Director KOSTAS ARGYROS
Countries Greece
Duration 52 min
Synopsis
The “Sakharov Prize” in memory of the Russian fighter for the freedom of thought and speech, Andrei Sakharov, confirms that the European Parliament constitutes a guardian for the respect of human rights and democratic freedoms both within and outside Europe. This year two Iranian fighters for democracy have been honored with the Sakharov Prize. Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, activist for human rights, and the director and writer Jafar Panahi, who has been honored in international film festivals. None of these two people were allowed by the Tehran government to travel to Strasbourg to receive their prize in person on December 12, 2012. Among those, who represented the winners was the director Costa Gavras, who expresses, in the documentary, his opinion on modern democracy. So, what is the “Sakharov legacy” and what is the significance of this institution for the awakening of public opinion on issues of democracy?
The “Sakharov Prize” in memory of the Russian fighter for the freedom of thought and speech, Andrei Sakharov, confirms that the European Parliament constitutes a guardian for the respect of human rights and democratic freedoms both within and outside Europe. This year two Iranian fighters for democracy have been honored with the Sakharov Prize. Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, activist for human rights, and the director and writer Jafar Panahi, who has been honored in international film festivals. None of these two people were allowed by the Tehran government to travel to Strasbourg to receive their prize in person on December 12, 2012. Among those, who represented the winners was the director Costa Gavras, who expresses, in the documentary, his opinion on modern democracy. So, what is the “Sakharov legacy” and what is the significance of this institution for the awakening of public opinion on issues of democracy?