Malala Yousafzai receives Sakharov Prize

Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani teenage activist received the EU's Sakharov human rights prize for her brave crusade for the right of the children to education. The European Parliament President Martin Schulz presented the award to the 16-year-old Malala at a ceremony in Strasbourg, France. Malala Yousafzai dedicated the award to "the unsung heroes of Pakistan" and to human rights campaigners worldwide.

Malala was shot in the head in October 2012 for campaigning for better rights for girls in Swat Valley of northwest Pakistan, an erstwhile Taliban stronghold.

About Sakharov Prize: The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. The prize was set up in 1988 to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The 50000-Euro prize is considered Europe's top human rights award.

In 2012 the award went to detained Iranians, lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh and film maker Jafar Panahi, to honour those standing up for a better Iran. With this award Malala joins a distinguished list of winners of the prize that includes South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar.