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Victims of Russian repression are honored with "Magnitsky" awards

2024-11-18 20:57:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Since 2015, human rights activists in Russia have gathered in London every November to present the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards, which honor individuals who have shown courage in their fight for human rights and against corruption.

Figures such as Boris Nemtsov, Jamal Khashoggi and Maria Ressa are among the winners of this award.

This year, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, Yulia Navalnya was honored for her courage under pressure, as well as for the contribution, sacrifices and resilience she and her family have shown over the years.

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny died in an isolated Arctic prison in February. His family and associates believe he was poisoned.

He is believed to have been part of the group of freedmen who were exchanged for Russian prisoners over the summer. Among them was fellow Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who presented Ms Navalnaya with the award last week in London.

The award is named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who in his role as a tax specialist with the Hermitage Capital Management firm founded by William Browder exposed the corruption of Russian government officials.

Mr. Magnitsky was arrested in 2008. He was physically abused and denied proper medical care in prison, where he died a year later.

"Emotions are always alive, you are dealing with murder, torture, ill-treatment. "No matter what happens, we are dealing with some very serious and very sad issues, but the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza is one of the rare bright spots in this world of pain," stated Mr. Browder.

Aware that the authorities in Russia would never find out what happened to Mr. Magnitsky while in prison and that they would not take action against the killers, Mr. Browder lobbied Washington for an answer.

As a result of these efforts, the US Congress passed the Magnitsky Act in 2012, paving the way for asset freezes and travel bans on those responsible for his death.

Since then, this law has become global and provides the legal basis for imposing sanctions on human rights violators around the world. The Magnitsky Prizes for Human Rights are awarded to those individuals who oppose them.

"We unite heroes from all over the world. They become a community where experiences are shared and each other is supported. I hope that someday (this award) will be transformed into the Nobel Prize for human rights" , says Mr. Browder.

Among those present at the ceremony was Marina Litvinenko. Her husband, Alexander, a former Russian security service agent turned vocal critic of Russian President Putin, died in London in 2006, apparently after being poisoned with radioactive polonium.

"On the one hand, I am very disappointed that my husband's death did not make people aware of how dangerous this regime is. On the other hand, more and more people are realizing who Mr. Putin is and what this regime can do to other states and individuals," she declared.

The fate of the Russian dissidents was the preoccupation of many in attendance.

"We still have a lot of work to do. I was lucky that my husband came back. But many did not return... There are hundreds and hundreds of political prisoners behind bars in our country and they need our support and solidarity" , declared activist Evgenia Kara-Murza, the wife of activist Vladimir Kara-Murza./ VOA