Charter'97 among world leaders of freedom of speech struggle

The leading British campaigning publishing organization for freedom of expression nominated charter97.org website and its journalist, Natallia Radzina, for Freedom of Expression Award.

The website was presented in the nomination Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award. This award is given to lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions.

The award-giving ceremony of Index on Censorship took place in London. The largest ceremony over the years of the organizations’ existence (since 1972) was held in the Royal Institute of British Architecture. 250 outstanding public leaders, philanthropists and journalists of the Great Britain.

Opening the ceremony, Index on Censorship’s chief executive John Kampfner stated:

“The challenges of censorship today become more versatile. Though it may be sad to realize, but traditional attacks have reached an unprecedented scope in many countries: intimidation, imprisonments, as well as murders of writers and activists for their seeking their rights for freedom of expression. But censorship and self-censorship acquire different forms: from cyber-attacks against websites to bans for protests”.

More than 80 persons from more than 30 countries of the world were nominated for the award. “Our awards honour people from all over the world who fight against censorship. These people are much more talented then those who are tryinh to censor them,” John Kampfner noted.

4 contenders were shortlisted for the nomination Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award (award to lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions): Belarus-based charter97.org website and its journalist Natallia Radzina; Human Rights Centre Memorial (Russia/Chechnya) which activist Natalya Estemirova had been kidnapped and murdered; Rashid Hajili, the chair of the Media Rights Institute in Azerbaijan which monitors free expression and works for the protection of journalists and bloggers; and lawyers from Ethiopia Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie who were imprisoned for two and half years for their efforts to ensure the Ethiopian elections were monitored legitimately.

It was noted during presentation of charter97.org website that the site is the main independent source of information on human rights and free expression activities in the country. The site comes under constant attacks by the country’s secret service. Along with her team, Head of Press Natallia Radzina works to bring to light the cases of arrest, detention and harassment of critical journalists and human rights activists, despite being arrested on a regular basis. Only because of such courageous and talented people like Natallia Radzina and the whole team of the website, devoted to truth and morality in journalism, the whole world know what is happening in the last dictatorship in Europe.

Azerbaijani lawyer Rashid Hajili won the award. By the way, the winner of the New Media Award was Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service. During the protests in Iran the Twitter played a pivotal role in mobilising protesters and facilitated a direct line of communication between demonstrators, news outlets and engaged people around the world. Yael Lerer from Israel, the founder of a unique publishing house dedicated to the translation of Arabic literature and prose into Hebrew, got the Publishing Award. The Freemuse Award was given Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdati for resisting the pressures placed on female musicians by conservative sectors of Iranian society and Ferhat Tunç from Turkey who insisted on exercising his right to perform his music in Kurdish.

“Including charter97.org in the shortlist for the British main human rights awards is recognition of the fact that Charter’97 contributes to protection of freedom of expression in Belarus and in the world. The global Freedom consists of local points,” Natallia Radzina noted.

Index on Censorship leading the fight for free expression in the UK and beyond

Opening the awarв-giving ceremony

Presentation of Natallia Radzina and Charter’97 website

Daniel Bekele, Natallia Radzina, and Rashid Hajili, the nominees for Law and Campaigning Award, given to lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions

Natallia Radzina and prominent Iranian film maker Maziar Bahari