The European Parliament's awarded Thursday its 2008 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the Chinese political activist, prominent human rights activist and dissident Hu Jia.

Hu Jia has embraced a wide range of causes, including environmental issues, HIV/AIDS advocacy and a call for an official enquiry into the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. He has also acted as a coordinator of the "barefoot lawyers movement".

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named in honor of the Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded by the European Parliament every year since 1988 to individuals or organisations that have made an important contribution to the fight for human rights or democracy.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the institution of the award, a special event will be held in Strasbourg on December 16. All previous winners of the prize have been invited to attend the event.

This year's prize, consisting of a certificate and a check for EUR 50,000, will be awarded in Strasbourg the next day, December 17.

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