Viasna’s imprisoned activists win Czech Homo Homini award
The Homo Homini Award for 2020 will be presented to Marfa Rabkova, Andrei Chapiuk, Leanid Sudalenka and Tatsiana Lasitsa.
People in Need, a non-governmental organization based in Prague, will award the Homo Homini prize to four currently detained members and volunteers of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, who face up to 12 years in prison for legitimate human rights activities.
The mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib, will present the award to Natallia Satsunkevich, a colleague from Viasna who will represent the detainees. The ceremony will take place online on May 10 as part of the launch of the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.
The Homo Homini Award has been given by People in Need since the 1990s to people and groups who have made a significant contribution to the protection of human rights, democracy and the non-violent resolution of political conflicts. Laureates from previous years include Chinese literary critic and dissident Liu Xiaobo, Kyrgyz activist Azimjan Askarov and Vietnamese dissident Pham Doan Trang.
In 2005, Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, won the prize. The award was presented by the well-known public figure and politician Václav Havel.
