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Legal Monitor Issue 74
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
December 06, 2010

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ZLHR honoured

The Argentine government has honoured Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) by awarding the organisation its prestigious Emilio Mignone International Human Rights Prize for 2010. This is the first time in the history of this prize that it has gone to an organisation outside the Americas.

The Emilio Mignone Award is presented to organisations that make "an outstanding contribution towards the promotion and protection of human rights in their own countries in the fight against impunity in cases involving systematic violations of human rights, discrimination and social, economic and cultural rights, among other areas".

The Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship will hand over the prize to ZLHR at a function to be attended by his country's government officials this week.

For winning the Award ZLHR will collect a Commemorative Plaque and pocket $5000. In addition, the organisation's Board Vice-Chairperson, Sarudzayi Njerere will travel to the Latin American country this week where she will have an opportunity to participate in a series of activities that include meetings with national authorities and members of academic institutions, the Judiciary and Human Rights NGOs.

ZLHR, a grouping of lawyers dedicated to promoting and defending all forms of human rights has, over the past 14 years, assisted thousands of human rights defenders and political activists through providing legal representation and other forms of assistance.

Although ZLHR has previously bagged a number of international awards, the Emilio Mignone Prize is the first to be awarded by a developing country that has been conspicuous in the field of human rights because of its own historical and political context of past military dictatorship.

"ZLHR is honoured to receive this recognition from a country of the global South. It shows the impact of our growing commitment to south south partnerships and we hope to see our relations flourish further in the years ahead. It also means so much to know that countries around the world-including those which have experienced some of the most difficult periods of human rights violations themselves - are concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe and are offering solidarity in our trying times," said ZLHR executive director, Irene Petras.

Carlos Sersale di Cerlsano, the Argentine Ambassador to South Africa regarded ZLHR in the "highest esteem".

The "Emilio F. Mignone International Human Rights Prize" was established in 2007 by the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship.

It grants recognition to foreign institutions and/or individuals residing abroad that are making or have made an outstanding contribution towards the promotion and/or protection of human rights in their own countries in the fight against impunity in cases involving systematic violations of human rights, discrimination and social, economic and cultural rights, among other areas.

Argentine Embassies and Consular Offices throughout the world propose candidates based on information gathered and on consultations with the main local human rights organizations. National or foreign non-governmental human rights organisations and international organisations may also make nominations.

The award is named after Emilio F. Mignone, founder of the Centre for Legal and Social Studies which did extensive human rights work in Argentina.

Emilio Mignone was one of the most effective leaders of the Argentine human rights movement against "disappearances", torture and politically inspired murders carried out by the State between 1976 and 1983 when Argentina was under military dictatorship. Emilio Mignone, who died in 1998, helped to document the crimes and assisted victims and families through the judicial system, making use of all components of the international system for the protection of human rights.

Previous winners of the Emilio Mignone Award include Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos, Desaparecidos y Mártires por la Liberación Nacional de Bolivia (ASOFAMD) which fights against forced disappearances in 2007, Comisión Colombiana de Juristas (CCJ) in 2008 and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), an organisation which promotes human rights, democracy and justice in the social and economic field in Latin America and the Caribbean.

It has become a tradition for ZLHR to be showered with awards in recent times as recognition for the organisation's sterling interventions in defending and fostering a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe.

In 2009, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative awarded ZLHR with its International Rule of Law Award.

ZLHR in 2008 won the Rights & Democracy John Humphrey Freedom Award in recognition of the organisation's courageous pursuit of justice for victims of human rights abuses inside Zimbabwe.

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