Posts Tagged ‘Asma Jahangir’

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Snowden and Asma Jahangir among recipients 2014 Right Livelihood Award

September 25, 2014

Right Livelihood logoHonorary Awards goes to EDWARD SNOWDEN (USA) “for his courage and skill in revealing the unprecedented extent of state surveillance violating basic democratic processes and constitutional rights” and  ALAN RUSBRIDGER (UK) “for building a global media organisation dedicated to responsible journalism in the public interest, undaunted by the challenges of exposing corporate and government malpractices”.

Three other Laureates will equally share the cash award of SEK 1.5 million:

ASMA JAHANGIR (Pakistan) “for defending, protecting and promoting human rights in Pakistan and more widely, often in very difficult and complex situations and at great personal risk”.

BASIL FERNANDO/ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (Hong Kong) “for his tireless and outstanding work to support and document the implementation of human rights in Asia”.

BILL McKIBBEN (USA) “for mobilising growing popular support in the USA and around the world for strong action to counter the threat of global climate change”.

The Foundation will also fund legal support for Edward Snowden.

Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, said: “This year’s Right Livelihood Laureates are stemming the tide of the most dangerous global trends. With this year’s Awards, we want to send a message of urgent warning that these trends – illegal mass surveillance of ordinary citizens, the violation of human and civil rights, violent manifestations of religious fundamentalism, and the decline of the planet’s life-supporting systems – are very much upon us already. If they are allowed to continue, and reinforce each other, they have the power to undermine the basis of civilised societies. But the Laureates also demonstrate that the choice is entirely in our hands: by courageous acts of civil disobedience in the public interest, through principled and undeterred journalism, by upholding the rule of law and documenting each violation of it, and by building social movements to resist the destruction of our natural environment, we can turn the tide and build our common future on the principles of freedom, justice, and respect for the Earth.”

The Awards will be presented at a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament on December 1.

http://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards

 

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Petition for Asma Jahangir

June 11, 2012

And for those who want to express their concern I have here the link to a global petition calling for the government of Pakistan to investigate the threats, increase security and protect Asma Jahangir.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Protect_Pakistans_leading_human_rights_activist_Asma_Jahangir_from_state_agency_plots_to_assassinate_her/?launch <http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Protect_Pakistans_leading_human_rights_activist_Asma_Jahangir_from_state_agency_plots_to_assassinate_her/?launch>

Please sign the petition and send out to your networks and through social media channels.
Global Human Rights Defence, Laan van Meerdervoort 70, NL – The Hague

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Asma Jahangir, Pakistan’s outstanding HRD, threatened

June 11, 2012

Asma Jahangir MEA Laureate

The Friday Times of June 8, 2012 carries an interesting article in which Raza Rumi talks to Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan Director at Human Rights Watch. The response to the question: “But critics would argue that Asma Jahangir is a politicised figure and she has offered no proof to substantiate her allegations…” is so good and clear it is worth quoting in full: “Let me be blunt. Asma Jahangir is no ordinary person. She is an activist of 30 years with a demonstrable record of unflinching integrity. Not only is she a figure viewed with admiration in Pakistan, she is seen as an icon by many in the international human rights movement. During these decades, she has been a consistent critic of the military and intelligence agencies but has never made such an allegation. But when she speaks the world hears respectfully and with attention. It is for the government of Pakistan to fully investigate the matter and unearth the truth of the matter. And I want to be absolutely clear: the intelligence apparatus must understand that if any harm comes to Asma Jahangir, the response from the international community will be severe.”. Asma was the second person to win the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 1995!.

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HRDs and other democracy proponents in Pakistan under threat

January 9, 2012
English: Asma Jahangir, shortly after being aw...

Image via Wikipedia

ISLAMABAD: Dozens of prominent writers, doctors, intellectuals, lawyers from Pakistan and around the world have endorsed a statement expressing “grave concern” at the threats to “Pakistani human rights defenders for their stance in the ‘memogate’ case” and “at the danger this crisis poses to Pakistan’s democratic political process that had taken a step forward with the elections of 2008”. Over a hundred endorsements from around the world came in within hours of the statement put up online on Jan 4, 2012, at http://tinyurl.com/05012012.

The statement says that allowing the elected civilian government in Pakistan to complete its tenure and hand over power to the next government following democratic elections would be a first step in “an ongoing process that is essential to Pakistan’s peace, progress and prosperity in the long run.” The statement underscores the risk to the lives of former Ambassador of Pakistan to the US, Husain Haqqani, his lawyer, former Supreme Court Bar Association President, Asma Jahangir [both a Laureate and Patron of the MEA], columnist Marvi Sirmed, senior journalist Najam Sethi and their families, to name some of the journalists and activists living under threat.

The ‘memogate’ case may be a complex and highly politicized issue but it should not affect the essential freedom of anyone to speak out against the narrative of the ideological security state.

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