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ZLHR
wins Rights & Democracy's 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award
Rights and
Democracy
November 17, 2008
Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights is the winner of Rights & Democracy's
2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award in recognition of its courageous
pursuit of justice for victims of human rights abuses inside Zimbabwe.
The organization has
played a leading role in the promotion and protection of human rights
across Zimbabwe since its founding in 1996. Guided by a professional
commitment to the rule of law and Zimbabwe's international
human rights obligations, ZLHR provides essential services ranging
from legal support for victims of state-endorsed persecution to
public education and human rights training for activists and civil
society organizations working at the community level.
In 2003, ZLHR established
a project to provide legal support for human rights defenders facing
prosecution. Up to 1,500 Zimbabweans now benefit from the service
each year, and its lawyers have yet to lose a single case in the
project's five year history. Irene Petras, Executive Director of
ZLHR, attributes this perfect track record to both the heroic tenacity
of the project's lawyers and the fact that there is rarely any evidence
to support the charges brought against their clients. "Prosecution
is used as a tool of persecution," she said. Ms. Petras and
fellow lawyer Andrew Makoni will accept the John Humphrey Freedom
Award on behalf of ZLHR at an Ottawa ceremony on Dec. 10, International
Human Rights Day.
"Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights provides a vital democratic lifeline for those
who would otherwise have no recourse against state-sponsored abuses
and persecution," said Dr. Jacques P. Gauthier, Interim Chair
of Rights & Democracy's (the International Centre for
Human Rights and Democratic Development) Board of Directors. "Its
determined, non-violent struggle against impunity and repression
reminds us that, in the end, tyranny is no match for human dignity
and the rule of law."
Rights & Democracy
established the annual John Humphrey Freedom Award in 1992 to honour
an organization or individual for exceptional commitment to the
promotion of international human rights and democratic development.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights was nominated by the Canadian
Embassy in Harare. An international jury selected ZLHR unanimously
from a field of almost 100 candidates.
Named in honour of John
Peters Humphrey, the McGill University law professor who prepared
the first draft of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
annual John Humphrey Freedom Award includes a speaking tour of Canadian
cities to help increase awareness of the recipient's human rights
work. This year's tour will bring Ms. Petras and Mr. Makoni
address public events in Calgary (Nov. 27), Toronto (Dec. 2), Halifax
(Dec. 5), Montreal (Dec. 8) and Ottawa (Dec. 10).
*Rights &
Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created
by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote democratic development
and to advocate for and defend human rights set out in the International
Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments
in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports
programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally
in developing countries.
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