Rights defender Svetlana Gannushkina receives Stieg Larsson Award

Svetlana Gannushkina, a member of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" and the chair of the Committee "Civil Assistance", was awarded the Swedish Stieg Larsson Award – the ceremony will take place on November 7 in Stockholm.

"By defending the rights of migrants and displaced persons, Ms Gannushkina has played an important role in the development of democracy in Russia. Despite the threats and political difficulties, she continues her work in two organizations that render help, on the everyday basis, to people, exposed to discrimination and violence. She supports the principle of equal rights and dignity of all people. This is completely in the spirit of Stieg Larsson," the HRC "Memorial" quotes the press release of the organizing committee of Stieg Larsson Award in the message, received today by the "Caucasian Knot".

Among other things, Svetlana Gannushkina worked on the problems of Northern Caucasus. Thus, in 2011, the "Civil Assistance" headed by Svetlana Gannushkina initiated a project aimed to protect the rights of residents of Chechnya and Ingushetia, kept in jails. Also in 2011, under her editorship, a report was released named "Chechens in Russia: kidnappings and disappearances in Northern Caucasus; situation of women in the Chechen Republic; housing problems of residents of Chechnya."

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" has reported about other rewards of Svetlana Gannushkina. In particular, in July 2012, the HRC "Memorial" and Svetlana Gannushkina were decorated by the Norwegian Sjur Lindebrækkes Award for democracy and human rights.