China/France/Germany: Detained Chinese lawyer Yu Wensheng wins Franco-German human rights award

January 15, 2019

The French and German ambassadors to Beijing have granted a human rights award to a detained Chinese lawyer, with his wife picking up the prize on his behalf.

Mr Yu Wensheng – best known for suing the Beijing government over the city’s once chronic pollution – was detained in January last year and charged with “inciting subversion of state power”.

Beijing has stepped up its crackdown on civil society since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, tightening restrictions on freedom of speech and detaining hundreds of activists and lawyers.

Prior to his arrest, Mr Yu had circulated an open letter calling for five reforms to China’s constitution, including the institution of multi-candidate presidential elections.

His wife, Madam Xu Yan, received the award at an event organised by the German embassy in Beijing on Monday (Jan 14).

The prominent attorney was among 15 winners of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law for 2018, announced in November last year.

“He (Yu) has lost his freedom for a year and not allowed to meet with a defence lawyer,” Madam Xu said at the event attended by the German and French ambassadors to China, according to a transcript she posted on her WeChat social media account.

…

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/detained-chinese-lawyer-yu-wensheng-wins-franco-german-human-rights-award

https://www.france24.com/en/20190115-detained-chinese-lawyer-wins-franco-german-human-rights-award

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/prize-01152019105135.html

https://www.malaymail.com/s/1712791/detained-chinese-lawyer-wins-franco-german-human-rights-award

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2019/01/16/2003708011

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/yu-wensheng

https://chinachange.org/2018/12/31/weather-the-dark-storm-persevere-for-rule-of-law-in-china-a-2019-new-years-message-from-the-china-human-rights-lawyers-group/

https://chinachange.org/2019/01/16/the-schellenberg-affair-chinese-lawyers-and-law-professors-opposing-courts-handling-of-robert-schellenbergs-case/

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/16/c_137749537.htm

https://thestandnews.com/china/%E8%A2%AB%E5%90%8A%E8%AD%89%E7%B6%AD%E6%AC%8A%E5%BE%8B%E5%B8%AB%E7%B5%84%E6%88%90-%E5%BE%8B%E5%B8%AB%E5%BE%8C%E4%BF%B1%E6%A8%82%E9%83%A8-%E8%AD%A6%E5%AF%9F%E7%99%BB%E9%96%80%E9%80%9A%E7%9F%A5%E5%8F%96%E7%B7%A0/?utm_source=HRIC+Updates&utm_campaign=63fbb4faba-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_12_04_11_54_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b537d30fde-63fbb4faba-259223637 (CHINESE)

【余文生律師獲得 2018年《德法人權法治獎》，妻子許艷代領獎的發言稿】

大家好！我叫許艷，是余文生律師的妻子。
余文生律師因代理人權案件，為709案辯護，發表修憲建議，以涉嫌煽動顛覆國家政權罪、妨害公務罪被捕。如今被關押於江蘇省徐州市看守所。已經失去自由一年，一直沒有得到辯護律師的會見。
我很榮幸能代替余文生律師來領獎。

得知余文生律師獲得2018年《德法人權法治獎》，我為余文生律師感到高興！
德國、法國這樣的自由文明國家給予余文生律師這樣的肯定與榮譽，令我倍感榮幸和欣慰！
在此，請允許我代表余文生律師，真誠感謝德國駐華大使館官的人權官員蓋明美女士、法國駐華大使館的人權官員古哲星先生、德國外交部長、法國外交部長、尊敬的德國、法國及所有推薦人士。
非常感謝您們對余文生律師的鼓勵與肯定。

我們身邊還有很多人權律師因為辦理人權案件、努力促進法治而遭受迫害，甚至失去自由。
709王全璋律師已失去自由三年多，而王全璋的辯護律師余文生律師、李昱函律師又相繼身陷囹圄。 709的辯護律師文東海律師、程海律師等被吊銷、註銷律師執業證。
709隋牧青律師被吊銷律師執業證。王宇律師至今無法正常執業。謝燕益律師被註銷律師執業證。
同時，一些其他人權律師和人權捍衛者在遭遇著不同的困境。
2018年《德法人權法治獎》授予余文生律師，這不是余文生律師一人的榮譽，也是人權律師群體的榮譽！

最後，我除對德國、法國表達衷心感謝外。藉此機會，我也感謝余文生律師案的辯護律師常伯陽律師、謝陽律師；代理律師盧廷閣律師、何偉律師、馬衛律師和一路幫助我的所有人士。

也衷心感謝對余文生律師案件一直給予關注與幫助的國際上其他國家的人權官員及其他國家，謝謝您們一直熱忱的幫助！您們的存在，讓困境中的人權捍衛士者看到希望。
肯請您們繼續關注余文生律師。
謝謝大家。

許艷
2019年1月14日

(China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group / 中國維權律師關注組 Facebook, 15/01/19)

2019年1月14日，德国驻华大使馆大使先生和法国驻华大使馆大使先生，为获得2018年《德法人权法治奖》的余文生律师颁奖。因为余文生律师现在还被关押，由妻子许艳代领奖。自由文明国家的二位大使先生提到余文生律师为人权、法治、公益所作的努力，令我倍感荣幸与感动。谢谢所有对余文生给予帮助的人士。 pic.twitter.com/xVwaSv3EOO

— 余文生律师妻子许艳 (@V603rYuoQV5dfTQ) January 14, 2019

Egypt/Thailand/France/Germany: Two persecuted rights lawyers receive Franco-German Prize for Human Rights

 

Mohamed Lotfy (Egypt)

Sirikan June Charoensiri (Thailand)

https://www.tlhr2014.com/?p=10264&fbclid=IwAR3os1uhkSVzgQjDh28qfyZg3D9WHhz_5xIRyi-oyTxEqykAT03f9Ynk048

https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/egypt-court-orders-release-of-anti-sex-abuse-activist-20181219

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46618153

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-court-orders-release-activist-amal-fathy-49334365

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/case-history-mohamed-lotfy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Lotfy_(Human_Rights_Defender)

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/human-rights/events/article/human-rights-franco-german-prize-for-human-rights-and-the-rule-of-law-21-11-18

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirikan_Charoensiri

https://afrique.lalibre.be/29342/egypte-la-justice-ordonne-la-liberation-dune-militante-des-droits-humains/ (FRANCAIS)

https://th.ambafrance.org/L-avocate-Sirikan-Charoensiri-recoit-le-prix-franco-allemand-pour-les-droits-de (FRANCAIS)

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/allemagne/relations-bilaterales/prix-franco-allemand-des-droits-de-l-homme-et-de-l-etat-de-droit/article/droits-de-l-homme-prix-franco-allemand-des-droits-de-l-homme-et-de-l-etat-de (FRANCAIS)

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/egypte/evenements/article/egypte-q-r-extrait-du-point-de-presse-16-01-19 (FRANCAIS)

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirikan_Charoensiri (ESPANOL)

Au cours d’une cérémonie chaleureuse qui s’est tenue le 18 décembre, les ambassadeurs d’Allemagne et de France en Égypte ont remis conjointement le Prix franco-allemand des droits de l’Homme et de l’État de droit à M. Mohamed Lotfy.

Ce prix, décerné cette année à 15 lauréats à travers le monde, récompense depuis 2016 des personnalités qui contribuent de façon exceptionnelle à la protection et à la promotion des droits de l’Homme et de l’État de droit dans leur pays et au niveau international.

Il témoigne de l’engagement constant de la France et de l’Allemagne en faveur des droits de l’Homme et de l’État de droit partout dans le monde et contribue à renforcer leur coopération dans ce domaine.

(Ambassade de France en Égypte Facebook, 18/12/18)

Sirikan Charoensiri, avocate thaïlandaise des droits de l’Homme au sein de l’organisation Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a reçu le mercredi 19 décembre au soir à la résidence de l’ambassadeur d’Allemagne le prix franco-allemand pour les droits de l’Homme et l’Etat de droit des mains de l’ambassadeur de France en Thaïlande, Jacques Lapouge, et de l’ambassadeur d’Allemagne, Georg Schmidt, en reconnaissance de son travail pour défendre les Thaïlandais affectés dans leurs droits depuis le coup d’Etat de mai 2014.

Pour en savoir plus ➡️ http://bit.ly/2LsehD1

🇹🇭 เมื่อค่ำวันพุธที่ 19 ธันวาคม 2561 ณ ทำเนียบเอกอัครราชทูตเยอรมนี นางสาวศิริกาญจน์ เจริญศิริ ทนายความของศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชน (Thai Lawyers for Human Rights – TLHR) ได้รับรางวัลสิทธิมนุษยชน และหลักนิติธรรมฝรั่งเศส-เยอรมัน จากนายฌัก ลาปูฌ เอกอัครราชทูตฝรั่งเศสประจำประเทศไทย และนายเกออร์ค ชมิดท์ เอกอัครราชทูตเยอรมนีประจำประเทศไทย เพื่อยกย่องการทำงานในการปกป้องชาวไทยที่ถูกละเมิดสิทธินับตั้งแต่เกิดรัฐประหารเมื่อเดือนพฤษภาคม 2557

ดูข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม ➡️ http://bit.ly/2PNkauV

(Ambassade de France en Thaïlande สถานเอกอัครราชทูตฝรั่งเศสประจำประเทศไทย Facebook, 20/12/18)

Egypt: Ragia Omran: Tirelessly pursuing human rights with one foot in corporate law

December 19, 2017

In December, lawyer Ragia Omran was one of 15 rights defenders from around the world to receive the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law. She was also awarded the Robert F. Kennedy award for human rights in 2013.

At the award ceremony for the Franco-German Prize, held at the German Embassy in Cairo, a feisty Omran said, “Some people speak about the hypocritical nature of politics, but I don’t use such language. I am a pragmatic person, but it is not pragmatic to sell arms to warring factions in countries mired in terrible conflicts where children are dying and then support a human rights investigation at the same time. It is counterproductive to give a human rights award but be selective about rights, to talk the talk, but not walk the walk.”

Omran, who comes from an affluent background, has been entrenched in the human rights movement in Egypt for two decades, mostly as a volunteer, while simultaneously maintaining a practice in corporate law. Mada Masr sat with her for an hour as she reflected on these different aspects of her life.

Mada Masr: You have a career in corporate law, while being extremely engaged in human rights. How did this happen?

…

https://www.madamasr.com/en/2017/12/19/feature/politics/ragia-omran-tirelessly-pursuing-human-rights-with-one-foot-in-corporate-law/

Egypt: Prominent Egyptian lawyer wins human rights prize

December 7, 2017

A prominent Egyptian human rights lawyer has won a European prize for her work representing political prisoners and torture victims as well as advocating for women’s rights.

Ragia Omran was chosen from among 15 rights defenders from around the world to receive the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law. The German and French embassies in Cairo announced the award earlier this week, and will present it to Omran on Dec. 10.

Several Egyptian rights activists have been recognized in recent months for their work amid an unprecedented crackdown on dissent.

Since the military overthrew an elected Islamist president in 2013, Egypt has jailed tens of thousands of dissidents, banned all unauthorized protests, restricted civil society groups and blocked hundreds of websites.

…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-5156101/Prominent-Egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize.html

https://www.voanews.com/a/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize/4153404.html

http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Prominent-Egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize-12412662.php

https://www.wthr.com/article/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize

http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/world/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize-article-1.3683332

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize-51644135

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2017/12/7/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize

http://www.egyptindependent.com/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize/

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/07/prominent-egyptian-lawyer-wins-human-rights-prize.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragia_Omran

http://nwrcegypt.org/%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B2%D8%A9/ (ARABIC)

http://www.eldiario.es/politica/ecuatoriano-ganadores-franco-aleman-derechos-humanos_0_717778239.html (ESPANOL)

http://www.dw.com/es/premio-franco-alem%C3%A1n-para-activistas-latinoamericanos/a-41751294 (ESPANOL)

Ragia Omran  receives the Franco German prize for human rights and rule of law from the German and French ambassadors to Egypt

(Facebook)

في حفل أقيم ب "اليوم العالمي لحقوق الإنسان" والذي يوافق 10 ديسمبر، منح كلا من #السفير_الألماني والسفير الفرنسي بالقاهرة "الجائزة الفرنسية الألمانية لحقوق الإنسان وسيادة القانون" إلى "#راجية_عمران"، المحامية #المصرية البارزة والمدافعة عن حقوق الإنسان. 1/2
#يوم_حقوق_الإنسان pic.twitter.com/o4LrEHwpWx

— German Embassy Cairo (@GermanEmbCairo) December 10, 2017

فخور بتسليمي هذا المساء الجائزة الفرنسية – الألمانية لحقوق الإنسان لراجية عمران، محامية مصرية بارزة وشجاعة. pic.twitter.com/qwEZKUPZQI

— Stéphane Romatet (@SRomatet) December 10, 2017

Fierté d'avoir remis ce soir le prix franco-allemand des droits de l'Homme à Ragia Omran, éminente et courageuse avocate égyptienne. pic.twitter.com/Cb0dLPj9I1

— Stéphane Romatet (@SRomatet) December 10, 2017

With the honoree of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights & Rule or Law Prize @rago_legal. Thank you @GermanEmbCairo @FranceenEgypte @SRomatet for a moving & inspiring evening celebrating courage & #HumanRights #Egypt #RagiaOmran pic.twitter.com/iwwyFCrAaP

— Soraya Bahgat (@SorayaBahgat) December 10, 2017

Egypt: Human rights lawyer Ragia Omran receives Franco-German Prize for Human Rights & the Rule of Law

December 4, 2017

 

At the Franco-German Council of Ministers in April 2016, Germany and France announced the launch of an annual international Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

In 2017, the prize is being awarded for the second time to committed human rights defenders from around the world who have done outstanding work in their respective countries to uphold human rights and the rule of law. All prize winners will receive a diploma and a medal designed by artist Anna Martha Napp that was chosen by a Franco-German jury. The medal symbolises their active commitment to the defence of human rights.

Here is a list of the 15 prize winners:

• M. Adilur Rahman Kahn (Bangladesh) ;
• M. Nounongnon Balbylas Gbaguidi (Bénin) ;
• Mme Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga (Bolivie) ;
• Mme Ragia Omran (Egypte) ;
• M. César Ricaurte (Equateur) ;
• M. Abdullah Al Khonaini (Koweit) ;
• M. Bekim Asani (Macédoine) ;
• Mme Mandira Sharma (Népal) ;
• Mme Grace Osakue (Nigéria) ;
• Mme Rosemarie Trajano (Philippines) ;
• Mme Elena Milashina (Russie) ;
• Mme Shreen Abdul Saroor (Sri Lanka) ;
• M. Kerem Altiparmak (Turquie) ;
• M. Pavlo Lysianskyi (Ukraine) ;
• Mme Liliana Ortega Mendoza (Venezuela).

…

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/germany/events/article/franco-german-prize-for-human-rights-and-the-rule-of-law-04-12-17

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dossier_de_presse_-_laureat_prix_2017_cle02f241.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragia_Omran

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/droits-de-l-homme/actualites-et-evenements-sur-le-theme-des-droits-de-l-homme/actualites-2017-sur-le-theme-des-droits-de-l-homme/article/prix-franco-allemand-des-droits-de-l-homme-et-de-l-etat-de-droit-04-12-17-231581 (FRANCAIS)

https://ec.ambafrance.org/Prix-franco-allemand-des-droits-de-l-Homme-et-de-l-Etat-de-droit (FRANCAIS)

https://jp.ambafrance.org/Droits-de-l-Homme-et-Etat-de-droit-Prix-franco-allemand (FRANCAIS)

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/de/neuigkeiten/article/deutsch-franzosischer-preis-fur-menschenrechte-und-rechtsstaatlichkeit-4-12 (DEUTSCH)

https://www.madamasr.com/ar/2017/12/05/news/u/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%88%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84/ (ARABIC)

https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2017/12/05/nota/6513382/cesar-ricaurte-fundamedios-recibira-premio-franco-aleman-derechos (ESPANOL)