Sakharov Prize Marks 20th Anniversary

This year's winner

An international conference in Strasbourg devoted to the 20th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought ended today with the awarding of the prize to Chinese political activist Hu Jia.

Hu is jailed in Beijing and his wife, Zeng Jinyan, gave a video address from Beijing -- where she is under house arrest -- in accepting the award.

One idea discussed at the conference was the creation of a Sakharov Prize Laureates' Club, which would allow past winners to exchange ideas and experiences.

Previous winners of the Sakharov Prize include former South African President Nelson Mandela and Belarusian opposition leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich.

-- Russian Service