The European United Left/Nordic Green Left Group in the European Parliament announced Wednesday that it will nominate the American whistleblower Edward Snowden for the 2013 European Parliament\'s prize for freedom of thought. \"Whistleblowers cannot be treated like criminals, they must have our protection. Edward Snowden risked his life to confirm what we had long suspected regarding mass online surveillance, a major scandal of our times. He revealed details of violations of EU data protection law and fundamental rights,\" said the Group in a statement. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - named after the late Russian physicist - is awarded annually by the European Parliament to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The EP will decide on the 2013 winner in October