Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was nominated for the 2013 European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought, today congratulated this year’s laureate, Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, for her fearless commitment to advancing the cause of girls’ education.

In a statement from prison, Khodorkovsky said that Malala, who was shot and left for dead by Taliban gunmen a little over a year ago, is following in the footsteps of the great Soviet-era Russian scientist, dissident and human rights campaigner Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov, after whom the prize is named.

Khodorkovsky, who supported educational initiatives before his arrest and imprisonment, said that education is an essential element of the democratic development of any society.

Malala was presented with the prize today during an award ceremony in Strasbourg.

Khodorkovsky said in his statement:

“Education and democratic development go hand in hand. One is worthless without the other. This is as true in Russia as it is in Pakistan, or anywhere else for that matter.

Malala’s story is truly inspiring. Her mental strength is an example to us all. Not only did she defy her oppressors and campaign for girls’ education, but she had the mental and physical strength to recover from the attack that nearly killed her.

Her resistance, her courage and her unquenchable optimism make her a worthy winner of the Sakharov Prize and an heir to the legacy of Andrei Dmitrievich. I congratulate her wholeheartedly.”