Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

All 12 of the HRDs highlighted in the campaign have displayed great courage and integrity in their work on a range of human rights issues. From those who are suffering long-term imprisonment like Ales Bialiatski in Belarus and Azimjan Askarov in Kyrgyzstan to Russian HRDs like Stephania Koulaeva and Evgeny Vitishko who face criminalization for their work challenging discrimination and defending the environment (respectively), the Olympic Team of HRDs face extraordinary challenges in their work defending the human rights of others.

“Just as these athletes could not compete, let alone win, at the Olympics without a substantial support team, so too do human rights defenders need support for their protection in order to achieve. And just as an energized crowd can spur a new world record, Front Line Defenders believes that by taking a few minutes to join the campaign, the public can make a major difference in the lives of these human rights defenders,” explained Adam Shapiro, Head of Campaigns.

^{The 12 HRDs in the campaign are: Evgeny Vitishko (Russia), Stephania Koulaeva (Russia), Natalia Taubina (Russia), Rustam Matsev (Russia), Ales Bialiatski (Belarus), Aleksandra Dvoretskaya (Ukraine), Natia Gvianishvili (Georgia), Anar Mammadli (Azerbaijan), Dilrabo Samadova (Tajikistan), Dilmurod Sayid (Uzbekistan), Azimjan Askarov (Kyrgyzstan) and Roza Tuletaeva (Kazakhstan).}

Front Line Defenders launches Olympics campaign on 12 human rights defenders | Front Line.

This entry was posted on February 9, 2014 at 21:44 and is filed under Front Line, human rights, Human Rights Defenders.

Tags: 2014 winter olympics, Ales Bialiatski, Azimjan Askarov, Belarus, campaign, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Evgeny Vitishko, Front Line (NGO), Front Line Defenders, human rights campaign, Human Rights Defenders, Kyrgyzstan, Olympics, Russia, Sochi, solidarity action, Stephania Koulaeva