Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

Greek academic Dimitris Christopoulos has been elected president of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). He succeeds Iranian lawyer Karim Lahidji who headed the international human rights NGO for the last three years. The vote was held during the 39th FIDH Congress in Johannesburg where its 178 member organisations from 120 countries were gathered to elect the new International Board and determine the main orientations for the next three years.

“Fight against terrorism, economic interests and the rise of extremism have precipitated the respect of human rights in depths that we thought had been definitively consigned to the past. Rarely, rights of citizens have been so flouted. It is urgent, and more than ever necessary, that civil societies and activists from the entire world be heard again. Let’s resist and act.” said Christopoulos, right after being elected.  The fight against impunity will be at the centre of  Christopoulos’ mandate, as will be the mobilization for the respect of human rights in the framework of the economic globalization.

The newly elected International Board is composed of 22 activists from 21 countries, representing all together five continents.