On Sunday, the Dresden Peace Prize was awarded to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died under mysterious circumstances in an Arctic Circle prison camp on February 16.

"The resistance of the opposition politician was and is an emboldening example to all the human rights defenders who are continuing his activities," the organizers said of the winner.

Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya accepted the prize and the laudatory speech was held by former German President Joachim Gauck.

Gauck, who had already praised Navalny as an "icon of all decent Russians" shortly after the news of his death, used a German sporting expression on Sunday and called the dissident a "feared opponent" for President Vladimir Putin.

The ceremony also included a performance of "Alexei Navalny's Speeches in Court" by the Dresden State Theatre ensemble. The award comes with a €10,000 (roughly $10,800) prize.

Born in 1976, Navalny gained worldwide attention for his many years of work to expose corruption and human rights abuses in President Vladimir Putin's Russia.

As a blogger, Navalny reached millions with his humor, especially........

© Deutsche Welle