Belarusian lawyer nominated for Hrant Dink Award

PanARMENIAN.Net - Amnesty International Germany stated the intention to nominate Belarusian lawyer Pavel Sapelka for the International Hrant Dink Award, presented to people who work for a world free of discrimination, racism, and violence, take personal risks for their ideals, use the language of peace and by doing so, inspire and encourage others, charter97.org reported.

The expert group on Belarus believes that the nomination of Pavel Sapelka is a good opportunity to call public attention to the difficult situation of lawyers in Belarus, the report says.

In March 2011 the presidium of the Minsk City Bar yielded to the pressure of the Ministry of Justice and expelled Mr. Sapelka from the bar, thus depriving him of the opportunity to continue his professional activity. At that time the lawyer was defending figurants of the criminal case concerning the “mass riot” of 19 December 2010 – Andrei Sannikau and Pavel Seviarynets, as well as Dzmitry Dashkevich (arrested on charges of beating a passer-by on 18 December).

Hrant Dink, a well-known Armenian Turkish journalist of, editor of the Agos weekly issued in Turkey, was killed in 2007 in Istanbul. Hrant Dink Foundation has been presented to courageous civil activists or journalists struggling for freedom of speech and human rights. Traditionally, two prize holders are chosen each year – a citizen of Turkey and a foreigner. The International Hrant Dink Award Committee includes Dink’s widow Rakel Dink, members of the European Parliament, writers and civil activists. The award ceremony takes place in Istanbul.