The far-right parliamentary group Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) nominated Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele as a candidate for the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for his public security policies, as highlighted in a note from the German news agency (Deutsche Presse). The formal presentation of the candidate, made before the committees of the European Parliament, grounds the initiative in the drastic reduction of crime rates and the intensity of violence in the Central American nation. The central argument put forward by German MEP René Aust holds that the public order strategy applied in El Salvador prioritized the fundamental right of citizens not to be victims of murders or kidnappings by criminal gangs. According to the position taken by the ESN bloc, the eradication of gang activity and the tangible results in the fight against crime constitute the main indicator for measuring the effectiveness of a government's administration. At the same time, the promoters of the candidacy upheld the principle of national sovereignty, arguing that the design and execution of internal order policies correspond to sovereign decisions of each State. Security policies in El Salvador drive Nayib Bukele's nomination for the Sakharov Prize (Photo courtesy of the Security Cabinet)Along with Nayib Bukele, the European Parliament officially confirmed the list of six candidacies put forward by the various political forces that make up the community bloc. The International Criminal Court (ICC) received the backing of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). The liberal group Renew Europe formalized the nomination of the Jewish-Arab movement Standing Together. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan hospital. The healthcare professional has remained in the custody of Israeli military forces without formal charges since December 2024, after refusing to abandon his medical responsibilities in the combat zone. The group Patriots for Europe presented the Iranian twins Taraneh Rahimi and Romina Rahimi. The lawyer and opposition leader from Tanzania, Tundu Lissu. An infographic on the 2026 Sakharov Prize presents six illustrative examples of activism and human rights advocacy in different regions. (Illustrative image Infobae)Created in 1988 by the European Parliament, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought pays tribute to the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. The distinction consists of a certificate and a financial award of 50,000 euros, granted annually to individuals or organizations outstanding in the defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In 2025, the recognition was awarded to Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian communicator Mzia Amaglobeli. The procedure to determine the winning candidacy will continue over the coming months according to the institutional calendar of the European Parliament. The presentation of the six candidates took place during a joint session of the Foreign Affairs and Development committees, joined by the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the community legislative body. On October 19, 2026, the MEPs belonging to those committees will hold an internal vote in order to select the three figures who will make up the final shortlist of candidates for the recognition. Once the shortlist is defined, the final decision will rest with the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, which will announce the name of the laureate or awarded entity on October 22, 2026. According to the official planning of the European body, the formal award ceremony will take place on December 16, 2026 during the plenary session in Strasbourg, France.