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| Awards 2006 |
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The 2006 Anna Lindh Award to Tatsiana Revjaka: Double victory for human rights in Belarus Efforts to improve human rights and democracy in Belarus were doubly rewarded in Stockholm on 14 June. Independently of each other, the Anna Lindh Memorial Fund and the Living History Forum rewarded the two human rights activists Tatsiana Revjaka and Aljaksandr Bialiatski. Belarus has been governed with an iron hand by President Lukashenko since 1994. The nation is described by many commentators as Europe’s last dictatorship, where human rights have steadily deteriorated and many human rights organisations and independent media are subjected to politically sanctioned repression. As the leader of the Belarus human rights organisation Viasna, Aljaksandr Bialiatski has for the past ten years provided legal assistance and thus in various ways helped thousands of people who have been victimised by the regime. The jury awarded him the 2006 Per Anger Prize for efforts to promote human rights and democracy “For his fearless human-rights campaign against the oppression of ordinary citizens [and] for his contributions to humanity and the advancement of democracy.” “In his battle he and his organisation have persistently monitored and taken action against the Belarus regime’s repeated crimes against human rights. It is people like Bialiatski who keep the dream of a future democratic Belarus alive,” says Robert Hårdh, secretary-general of the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, the organisation that nominated Bialiatski for the Per Anger Prize. The Anna Lindh Award for 2006 went to Tatsiana Revjaka with the following acknowledgement: “With commitment, empathy and perseverance, Tatsiana Revjaka manages to expose crimes and to support and give a voice to the victims. Fearlessly she challenges political oppression and spreads knowledge about an alternative society where the individual’s rights are inviolable. Her courageous and purposeful work is an inspiration and helps to the potential for an open, democratic Belarus.” “Tatsiana Revjaka is doing an extremely important job, raising awareness about human rights and the crimes that are committed in Belarus. As a leading representative of the human rights organisation Biasna, she has contributed considerably to promoting democracy, freedom of speech and human rights. Tatsiana Revjaka is an exceedingly worthy recipient of this award,” says chairman Ingvar Carlsson. These awards are important to future human rights efforts in Belarus. However, neither of the two award winners are expecting to be celebrated by the domestic media. On the contrary, this will probably enhance the image that is already in circulation, namely that they are the “lackeys of the west”. “But we believe it will contribute to protecting our organisation at home. The people in power place great stock in international awards. We also think it may help to give Viasna more authority on a national level, which is just as important,” says Aljaksandr Bialiatski. “Many people consider these awards to be personal. But they are shared by everyone working with human rights, and they are an encouragement to the entire group,” Tatsiana Revjaka concludes. The Anna Lindh Memorial Fund Foundation was founded in honour of Anna Lindh, and to demonstrate that violence must never quell our belief in the ability to achieve change with peaceful measures and democratic channels. The Foundation annually acknowledges a person, organisation or project operating in the spirit of Anna Lindh. For more information, please visit www.annalindhsminnesfond.se The Living History Forum has been commissioned by the Swedish Government to manage and annually appoint a recipient of the prize in memory of Ambassador Per Anger. The prize is international and is awarded in acknowledgement of efforts to promote human rights and democracy. The prize was awarded the first time in 2004. For more information, please visit www.levandehistoria.se/peranger |
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