As chair of a human rights award I report this event mostly because I want to remember to be careful. No glee!
The Werkstatt Deutschland organisation had planned to give Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin the private Quadriga Award that recognises “role models for enlightenment, dedication and the public good.” Under immense pressure the Quadriga Panel has now revoked its decision. The Quadriga panel voiced “great regret” that it is was forced to retract the prize, but said “the growing pressure was becoming increasingly unsustainable and risked escalating further”. According to AFP, former Czech president Vaclav Havel, who received the same award in 2009, welcomed the German panel’s decision: “The award should be given to people like Anna Politkovskaya or Sergei Kovalov or Liu Xiaobo — people who devoted their lives to protection of human rights and freedoms and promoting democracy”. The prize has been awarded every year since 2003 on October 3, the anniversary of German unification.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 