Two Yazidi women who escaped sexual enslavement by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq have won Europe's top human rights award, the 2016 Sakharov prize. They were nominated by the European Parliament's liberal ALDE group. European Parliament President Martin Schulz said it is a very symbolic and significant decision to support these two survivors who came to Europe as refugees. <br/><br/>Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar were among thousands of Yazidi girls and women abducted by IS militants and forced into sexual slavery in 2014. But both survived and now campaign for the Yazidi community. The freedom of thought prize is awarded annually in memory of Andrei Sakharov, a Soviet scientist to honor individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms.