The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, sometimes called "the Nobel Prize for human rights",[1] is an annual prize for human rights defenders. It was created in 1993 to honour and protect individuals around the world who demonstrate exceptional courage in defending and promoting human rights. Its principal aim is to provide protection ("protective publicity") to human rights defenders who are at risk by focusing international media attention on their plight, mainly through online means and advocacy work. The Award is named after British human rights activist Martin Ennals, former secretary general of Amnesty International and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.[2]
The Award carries an important financial prize intended to support the Award winners' work in the field of human rights. The Award ceremony, co-hosted with the City of Geneva, takes place in the first semester of the year. The Jury, composed of representatives of ten of the world's leading human rights organisations, selects the Award winner each year. Members of the jury include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line Defenders, International Commission of Jurists, Human Rights First, International Service for Human Rights, Brot für die Welt, and Huridocs.
Recipients
The award was in the news in November 2023 when Solton Achilova was prevented from attending that years ceremony by the authorities in Turkmenistan. She was a critic of her country's government and she had been a runner-up for the 202? award. She had been unable to attend in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and she had planned to pick up the award in 2023. No reason was given by the authorities for preventing her leaving the country.[10]
References
- ^ "Le combat de Mutabar Tadjibaeva, survivante des geôles de Tachkent". Le Monde. 24 November 2008.
- ^ Hall, Amy (12 Feb 2021). "Jailed Chinese lawyer and pro-democracy activist Yu Wensheng wins major human rights award". SBS News. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Ilham Tohti - Martin Ennals Award Ilham Tohti". Martin Ennals Award. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ "2017 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders goes to Mohamed Zaree". Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ Young, Evan (14 February 2019). "Refugee flown from Manus Island to Switzerland to accept major human rights award". SBS News. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "2020 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders goes to Huda Al-Sarari".
- ^ Hurst, Luke (February 15, 2021). "Jailed Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng wins Martin Ennals Award". Euronews. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "And the Martin Ennals Laureates 2022 are…". martinennalsaward. January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Three outstanding activists who pioneered human rights movements in Venezuela, Chad, and Kashmir to receive the Martin Ennals Award 2023". Front Line Defenders. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Najibullah, Farangis (2023-11-21). "Turkmen Journalist Defiant After Being Strip-Searched, Stopped From Flying To Europe". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
Recent Comments