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PRESS RELEASE
11 October 2005
Syrian Human Rights Defender receives
2005 Martin Ennals Award
Press release in English
Communique de Presse en Français
Comunicado de Prensa
Comunicado de Imprensa
Pressekommuniqué auf Deutsch
بيان صحفي باللغة العربية
Русский Вариант
Aktham Naisse, President of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic
Liberties and Human Rights in Syria, is the winner of the 2005 Martin
Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA).
On Wednesday 12 October 2005, 17h00, Aktham Naisse will receive
the award from the hands of Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights during a ceremony at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices
in Geneva, within framework of the International North South Media
Festival.
The Chairman of the Jury, Hans Thoolen, called Aktham Naisse
“an extraordinary example of a man who continues to fight for fundamental
rights in spite of constant harassment and threats.” He embodies
the soul of the democratic movement in Syria and has been involved
in this struggle for over 30 years. He is one of the founding members
of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and Human
Rights (CDF), created in 1989, and the publication “Sawt al-Dimokratiyyah”
(the Voice of Democracy). During all these years Aktham Naisse has
written articles and courageously spoken out in national, regional
and international forums. He was arrested six times for publicly
demanding respect for human rights. In recent years Aktham Naisse
was being charged with “opposing the objectives of the revolution”
and “disseminating false information aiming at weakening the State”,
risking a prison sentence of 15 years. Thank to international pressure,
he was finally acquitted on Sunday 26 June 2005 by the Supreme State
Security Court. A few days before his trial Aktham Naisse wrote
to the Martin Ennals Foundation: “I feel more motivated and happy
because there are people interested in our problem, people that
care for us and support us in our fight for human liberty. I have
a great emotion because I know now that we are not struggling alone
against human rights violation.”
A unique collaboration among eleven of the world's leading non-governmental
human rights organizations makes the MEA the main award
of the human rights movement. The JURY
is composed of the following: Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights,
World Organization Against Torture, International Commission of
Jurists, German Diakonie, International Service for Human Rights,
International Alert, HURIDOCS and DCI.
The MEA has a Committee of Patrons including Asma
Jahangir, Barbara Hendricks, José Ramos-Horta, Adama Dieng, Leandro
Despouy, Robert Fulghum and Theo van Boven.
The previous laureates are: Lida Yusupova, Russia
(2004); Alirio Uribe Muñoz, Colombia (2003); Jacqueline Moudeina,
Chad (2002); Peace Brigades International (2001); Immaculée Birhaheka,
DR Congo (2000); Natasa Kandic, Yugoslavia (1999); Eyad El Sarraj,
Palestine (1998); Samuel Ruiz García, Mexico (1997); Clement Nwankwo,
Nigeria (1996); Asma Jahangir, Pakistan (1995); Harry Wu, China
(1994).
For other information, please contact Luis
Marreiros, Coordinator. Tel: +41.22.8094925 (marreiros@martinennalsaward.org)
or visit our website: www.martinennalsaward.org
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