EU: The European Union will award its highest human rights prize jointly to three organisations in a ceremony in Strasbourg later today.
However, one of the organisations will not attend despite the efforts of European Parliament president Josep Borrell.
A five-woman delegation from the Women in White group was effectively barred from travelling to France to collect the award when the Cuban authorities imposed a series of extra administrative requirements for their visas.
Mr Borrell attempted to contact Cuban foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque on Monday night to resolve these issues, but was unable to do so.
Women in White is named after the clothes members wear every Sunday when they hold protests against the incarceration of their husbands and sons in Cuba for political reasons.
Joining Women in White as winners are Reporters without Borders, which campaigns for press freedom, and Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim.
Reporters without Borders celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The organisation attempts to defend journalists from persecution and censorship.
So far this year 58 reporters have been killed while at work. In Iraq since March 2003, 76 journalists and media assistants have been killed.
Mr Ibrahim works to defend women condemned to death by stoning in the parts of Nigeria applying Islamic law.
The three winners will split the €50,000 prize money.
The European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought each year to honour the protection of minorities and the development of democracy.
Established in 1998, it is named after the Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov, who campaigned for human rights in the Soviet Union.