Martin schulz malala speech

Pakistani schoolgirl and campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban, has received the EU’s Sakharov human rights prize at a ceremony in Strasbourg.

In a speech she dedicated the award to “the unsung heroes of Pakistan” and to human rights campaigners worldwide.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz presented the award.

The 16-year-old activist was shot a year ago after campaigning for better rights for girls in Pakistan.

The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.

The 50,000 euro ($65,000) prize is considered Europe’s top human rights award.

“I am hopeful the European Parliament will look beyond Europe to the suffering countries where people are still deprived of their basic rights, their freedom of thought is suppressed, freedom of speech is enchained,” Ms Yousafzai said.

“Many children have no food to ea