National Human Rights Award – 2017
- 31.12.2017, 10:12
The website Charter97.org is announcing the laureates of the National award in the sphere of human rights defense for the year 2017.
This year’s National award for the protection of human rights named after Viktar Ivashkevich is given to:
Pavel Belavus
Founder of the Art-Siadziba Pavel Belarus shows on personal example that Belarusians do have a constitutional right to be Belarusians in their own country. Pavel has done a lot for the promotion of the Belaruisan national idea and the national symbols. The CEO of the Art-Siadziba is ready to sacrifice personal freedom for his ideas. On March 26, 2017 he came out to the Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk with a demand to release hundreds of Belarusians, arrested the day before, on the Freedom Day. He is awarded in two nominations – “For Bravery in Creativity” and “For Personal Courage”.
Leanid Sudalenka
The human rights defender, legal inspector of the independent trade union of the radio-electronic industry workers in Homel region is struggling for the rights of the working people wholeheartedly. In 2017, Leanid Sudalenka helped many unemployed people, who fell under the absurd Lukashenka’s decree “On social parasites” , and defended not only the members of the REP trade union, but also other workers, whose rights were violated by the administrations of their enterprises. He is awarded in the nomination “For Personal Courage”.
Volha Nikalaichyk
Gifted director-documentalist Volha Nikalaichyk has become a real human rights activist today. As a person with the acute feeling of justice, she is struggling for everybody’s rights, helping and supporting those whose rights are violated in the dictatorial Belarus. Volha participated in the Outraged Belarusians’ Marches, defended Kurapaty, protested against the Russian troops’ deployment in Belarus, helped political prisoners, protected women who suffered from sexual harassment. Volha Nikalaichyk is awarded in the nomination “For Personal Courage”.
Volha Chaichyts
In 2017, over 100 administrative cases were initiated against independent and freelance journalists for the fullfillment of professional duties by them. Reporter of Belsat TV Volha Chaichyts was repeatedly arrested when live-streaming at the protest actions in Belarus, she was tried in administrative cases 7 times within the year. Volha is awarded in the nomination “For the defence of the principles of freedom of speech.”
Yauhen Afnahel
The coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign, one of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress, having returned to Belarus after the 4 years of forced immigration, continued the struggle and became one of the leaders of the street protests. He is a man of incredible personal modesty and unbelievable courage. His life motto is “Rights are not given to a person, but conquered in a struggle.” Yauhen Afnahel is awarded in the nomination “For Personal Courage”.
The National Human Rights Award was founded by Charter’97 in 1998. In different years the award was granted to participants of the protest tent camp on Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk in March 2006; political prisoners Ales Bialiatski, Mikalai Statkevich, Aliaksandr Kazulin, Ihar Alinevich, Zmitser Dashkevich, Mikhail Marynich, Pavel Seviarynets, Andrei Kim, Siarhei Parsiukevich, Uladzimir Yaromenak; Eduard Lobau, Vasil Parfiankou, first head of independent Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich; world champion Muia Thai fighter Vital Hurkou, activist of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union Alena Zakhozhaya; believers, who went on hunger strike to defend the New Life protestant church; St. Joseph’s church parish committee head Ivona Matsukevich; human rights activists Valer Shchukin and Halina Yubko; wives of the abducted opposition leaders and the journalist Iryna Krasouskaya, Zinaida Hanchar, Sviatlana Zavadskaya; wife of the former political prisoner Tatsiana Klimava-Leanovich; People’s Artist of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka; opposition activist Uladzimir Plashchenka; defenders of the Kurapaty memorial complex; the creative association Pahonya; the Belarus Free Theatre; music bands N.R.M., Novaye Neba and Lyapis Trubetskoy with its leader Siarhei Mikhalok; Yakub Kolas Belarusian Humanities Lyceum closed down by the authorities; journalists Sviatlana Kalinkina, Pavel Mazheika, Mikola Markevich, Viktar Ivashkevich, Liubou Luniova, Yuras Karmanau, Maryna Koktysh, Henadz Barbarych, Yulia Darashkevich; human rights activists Yana Paliakova and Tatsiana Novikava; trade union leader Henadz Fiadynich; Swedish pilots Tomas Mazetti, Per Cromwell, Hannah Frey; political prisoners convicted in the case of December 19; the initiative Vyzvalenne, the initiative Students Against, the leader of the Belarusian legendary rock band Krama Ihar Varashkevich, the economist Leanid Zlotnikau, former political prisoner, one of the Zubr movement and the Krai organization founders Vadzim Kabanchuk, the journalist Yahor Martsinovich and other famous public figures, politicians and journalists.