Campaigners against the death penalty win national human rights prize
10th National Human Rights Award. Winners and shortlisted candidates. Left to right: Ihar Komlik and Henadz Fiadynich (both Trade Union REP), Palina Stsepanenka and Andrei Paluda (both "Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus"), Iryna Leushyna and Tatsiana Karaviankova (both BelaPAN news agency). December 10, 2018
Belarusian human rights defenders marked the International Human Rights Day by awarding the 10th annual National Human Rights Prize. The ceremony was hosted by the newly opened education space “Territory of Rights.”
The award in the category “Human Rights Defender of the Year” was shared by Volha Smalianka, Legal Transformation Center, and the leaders of the independent trade union REP Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik.
The nomination “Journalist of the Year” was won by Iryna Leushyna, director of the BelaPAN news agency.
In the nomination “Campaign/Initiative of the Year”, the prize was awarded to “Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus.”
The National Human Rights Award was established in 2008. The prize is awarded in three nominations: “Human Rights Defender of the Year”, “Journalist of the Year”, and “Campaign/Initiative of the Year”.
The award is co-run by the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarusian Documentation Center, Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Center "Viasna", Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House, Committee "Solidarity", Center for Legal Transformation, Human Rights Alliance, Legal Initiative, and the Public initiative against lawlessness in the courts and prosecutor’s offices.
