US State Department hands over the prize, posthumously awarded to Ingush human rights defender, to his colleague

On October 16, in Moscow, the annual award of the US State Department for human rights defending, which was awarded posthumously to Ingush human rights defender Maksharip Aushev, has been handed. The award was handed to a colleague of the human rights defender for further delivery to his relatives.

The annual award to human rights defenders (Human rights defenders award) is awarded to individuals and NGOs for outstanding achievements and courage in defending human rights and democracy under persecution by the authorities.

The State Department message says that "under conditions, threatening by death to journalists and other human rights defenders, Mr Aushev bravely and selflessly covered murders, kidnappings, extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations in the North Caucasus".

"The prize had been awarded by the US State Department yet in December 2009; however, the events were conducted in the United States. And now, finally, the award reached Russia and was handed in Moscow. It was planned that the award should be handed to the family members of the murdered human rights defender, but, since they failed to come to the event for some reasons, the award was given to Lyudmila Alekseeva, a colleague of Maksharip Aushev," explained the Aushev's associate Magomed Khazbiev, the Ingush opposition leader, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.