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823
United Nations Plaza, Suite 717, New York, N.Y, 10017,
T: 212 661 0480 F: 212 661 0416 info@ilhr.org
PRESS RELEASE
For Use December 9, 2002
Contact: Victoria Graham 212 740 2403; Leila Sandell
212 661 0480
FIVE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS TO BE HONORED
BY THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
NEW YORK - Five human rights activists-from Ireland,
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Sierra Leone-will
be honored December 9 by the International League for
Human Rights to mark Defenders' Day at the United Nations.
Four of the five - one is jailed in Kazakhstan -- will
be in New York for a reception and awards ceremony and
will be available for interviews. A clip from the film
Bloody Sunday about struggles in Northern Ireland will
be screened at the awards presentation.
"These five heroes have taken unpopular stands,
challenged autocrats and lifted their voices on behalf
of African women and girls, Chinese people infected
with HIV/AIDS, the people of Northern Ireland and citizens
resisting authoritarian rule in the former Soviet Union,"
said Dr. Louise Kantrow, Executive Director of the International
League for Human Rights.
The five are: Sergei Duvanov, an independent journalist
recently detained in Kazakhstan; Don Mullan, a native
of Northern Ireland, journalist and author of Eyewitness
Bloody Sunday; Christiana Thorpe of Sierra Leone, founder
of an organization which empowers African women and
girls; Topchubek Turgunaliev, a campaigner for democracy
in Kyrgyzstan; and Dr. Wan Yanhai, an HIV/AIDS activist
recently released by Chinese authorities who had accused
him of disclosing state secrets about a tainted provincial
blood supply.
Sergei Duvanov has been harassed regularly, and last
August he was beaten and a cross carved into his chest
for his reporting on corruption involving Swiss bank
accounts allegedly belonging to President Nursultan
Nazarbayev. Duvanov edits the magazine of the Kazakhstan
International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law
and writes for Internet websites of opposition political
parties. In late October he was arrested on sexual assault
charges, hours before he was to fly to the United States
to speak on press freedom and human rights in Kazakhstan.
Duvanov's daughter, Denissa, will accept the award on
his behalf.
Don Mullan, a human rights activist, journalist, writer,
lecturer and producer, was an eyewitness to the events
of Bloody Sunday, January 30, 1972, when British troops
fatally shot fourteen unarmed Catholics in Derry. That
day began the violent struggles between Britain and
sections of Ireland, north and south. Mullan has worked
to educate people about the impact of Bloody Sunday
and recently co-produced a film, Bloody Sunday, based
on his book. His publications include The Dublin Monaghan
Bombings and A Gift of Roses.
Christiana Thorpe of Sierra Leone, an activist for
women's and girls' rights, founded and heads the Forum
for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). It seeks to
empower women and girls to become involved in decisions
about rebuilding Sierra Leone following ten years of
armed struggle in the West African nation. The majority
of victims were women and girls, some of them as young
as six, who were abducted, raped and forced to become
sex slaves.
Topchubek Turgunaliev has been at the forefront of
the movement for democracy in Kyrgyzstan for ten years.
He founded the Institute for Human Rights and Liberties
and helped draft the constitution. Since 1996 he has
been imprisoned on several occasions for his political
activism promoting democracy and pluralism. Turgunaliev
co-founded the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan and
the Erkindik (Liberty) Party and helped organize the
Prisoners of Conscience Guild.
Dr. Wan Yanhai, the most visible AIDS activist in China,
is the founder and coordinator of the non-governmental
Aids Action Project (AIZHI). He drew the ire of Chinese
authorities for disclosing a confidential report about
a scandal involving tainted blood at government-supported
clinics in Henan Province. Hundreds of thousands of
villagers allegedly were infected with HIV through faulty
blood collection practices. Dr. Wan also has fought
discrimination against infected people. He was arrested
in August on charges of disclosing state secrets in
connection with the blood supply report.
The International League for Human Rights, now in its
sixtieth year, seeks to build the capacity and support
the activities of its partners and individual human
rights advocates worldwide. It focuses on four major
program areas: Defending the defenders of human rights,
promoting human rights in countries in transition to
democracy, furthering women's and children's rights
and strengthening international institutions that protect
human rights.
Defenders' Day, December 9 each year, marks the adoption
by the U.N. General Assembly in 1998 of the Defenders'
Declaration, reinforcing the right of individuals and
groups to promote and protect the rights of others.
It falls on the day before the December 10 anniversary
of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948.
For more information and to arrange interviews with
honorees, contact Victoria Graham,
212 . 740-2403, VicGraham@aol.com or Leila Sandell at
the International League for Human Rights, 212 . 661-0480.
(END)
______________________________________________________________________________________
International League for Human Rights
823 United Nations Plaza, Suite 717, New York, N.Y,
10017, T: 212 661 0480 F: 212 661 0416 info@ilhr.org
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