"Memorial" receives Hrant Dink International Award

On September 15, Istanbul hosted the ceremony of awarding the International Historical-Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society "Memorial" with the award named after Hrant Dink.

Ali Bairamoglu, Chairman of the Awarding Committee, said in his opening speech that the prize is awarded once again to the people who are fighting for the world without racism, discrimination and violence, often at the risk of their life and liberty.

On behalf of the "Memorial" the award was received by Alexander Cherkasov, Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) and a Board Member of the "International Memorial".

The founders of the award have especially highlighted the efforts of the "Memorial" in preserving the memory of state terror and human rights violations in the past. Along with that, according to the organizers of the event, the "Memorial" Society is drawing attention of the society to new cases of human rights violations in areas of armed conflicts, defending the rights of immigrants and refugees, and seeking to force the authorities to work for citizens' benefit.

The award winners are defined by the international jury through the procedure of open nomination and two rounds of voting, the HRC "Memorial" reports.

According to the radio station "Echo Moskvy", the award was also granted to the Turkish sociologist Ismail Beshikchi, who had spent 17 years in prison for the assertion of the existence of the Kurdish people.