MEMO/11/427
Brussels, 19 June 2011
Statement of President Barroso following the passing away of Yelena Bonner
"It is with great sadness that I heard today of the passing away of Yelena Bonner, human rights activist, author and widow of Nobel Prize Winner Andrei Sakharov. She stood side by side with her husband in the fight for political freedom, democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union, and all over the world. I want to pay tribute to the courage she showed in standing up for fundamental freedoms and human dignity that people worldwide demand."
