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Magnitsky Human Rights Awards

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The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards, established in 2015 by Sir William Browder KCMG, are named in honor of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in custody after uncovering a government corruption scheme.[1] His death led to the creation of the Magnitsky Act, which sanctions human rights violators globally by freezing their assets and banning their visas.[1]

The awards recognise journalists, politicians, and activists in the field of human rights. Notable past recipients include Boris Nemtsov, Senator John McCain, Jamal Khashoggi, Maria Ressa, and Oleg Sentsov.[1]

The event occurs annually in London every November to commemorate Sergei Magnitsky's life and work. The Awards Dinner is attended by journalists, politicians, NGOs and civil society. The ceremony also allows the recipients of these awards a platform to highlight human rights issues to a broad audience.

Past Awardees

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The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards has awarded numerous individuals, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, etc. for their work in the field of human rights. Past recipients include:

2015[2]

2017

2018[3]

2019[4]

2020

2021

2022

2023

High Profile Cases

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The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards have been linked to several high-profile cases, underscoring their significance in the field of global human rights advocacy.

Vladimir Kara-Murza

A prominent Russian opposition figure and recipient of the Outstanding Russian Opposition Activist in 2017, Kara-Murza has been a critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government.[8] Kara-Murza worked alongside Sir William Browder KCMG to advocate for the adoption of Magnitsky Acts worldwide, but his activism led to two poisonings by the Russian government and a 25-year sentence in a Russian prison for speaking out against Russia's war in Ukraine.[8] In a prisoner swap, the largest since the Cold War, Kara-Murza was freed on August 1, 2024.[9]

Jimmy Lai

A Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist, Lai was recognised with the Outstanding Journalist Award.[10] He has been imprisoned for his commitment to press freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, particularly through his work with the Apple Daily newspaper.[10]

Alexei Navalny

A Russian opposition leader and activist known for anti-corruption efforts, Navalny was a recipient of the Outstanding Russian Opposition Activist award. Known for his investigations into corruption at high levels of the Russian government, Navalny's poisoning and imprisonment drew international.[11] On February 16, 2024, Navalny died in Russian prison, while serving a 19-year sentence.[11]

Jamal Khashoggi

The Saudi journalist and critic of the Saudi government was posthumously recognised by the Magnitsky Awards for the Courage Under Fire award in 2019.[12] Khashoggi's murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 drew international.[12]

Alexei Gorinov

Alexei Gorinov is a Russian opposition politician and lawyer who served as a Moscow municipal deputy. Gorinov was the first person to be sentenced under Russia's law against distributing 'false' information about the Russian army for speaking out against Russia's war in Ukraine.[13] In April 2022, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for his opposition to the war in Ukraine.[14]

Félix Maradiaga

Félix Maradiaga is a Nicaraguan human rights and pro-democracy activist, recognized as one of his country's leading pro-democracy voices.[15] He is the founder of Fundación Para la Libertad and has faced persecution by the Ortega government, including imprisonment and expulsion to the United States.[16] In 2023, he was awarded the Magnitsky Human Rights Award for Outstanding Political Opposition.

Associated News

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The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards have been associated with several high-profile cases and news stories, reflecting their role in highlighting global human rights issues.

Human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, a pro-democracy activist from Eswatini, was posthumously awarded the Outstanding Human Rights Lawyer Award in 2023. He was killed in January 2023, and his wife, Tanele Maseko, accepted the award on his behalf.[17] During her acceptance, she accused Eswatini's King Mswati of involvement in her husband's death, a claim denied by the Eswatini government.[18][19]

In response to her acceptance speech, Eswatini Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo released a statement on behalf of the Eswatini Government, denying Maseko's claims at the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards.

The statement read:

"The Government would like to categorically state that these utterances are a fabrication of the truth and are part of a narrative that seeks to promote hatred against the King and further perpetrate civil discord, something which should not be tolerated at any platform since it erodes the very existence of fundamental rights which Thulani stood for."

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign | The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  2. ^ McSmith, Andy (November 16, 2015). "Sergei Magnitsky Human Rights Award: Secret ceremony to promote 'Magnitsky law'". The Independent.
  3. ^ Ferris-Rotman, Amie (November 17, 2018). "The once poisoned and imprisoned foes of Putin gather in London".
  4. ^ "Press Freedom Under Spotlight at Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". Voice of America. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  5. ^ Buan, Lian (2019-11-16). "Amal Clooney: Let autocratic leaders know we support journalists". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  6. ^ "Iran detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe wins Magnitsky Bravery Award". euronews. 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  7. ^ "Minister Lipavský received the Magnitsky Human Rights Award in London". mzv.gov.cz. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  8. ^ a b "Vladimir Kara-Murza | The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  9. ^ "Freed prisoner: Life in Russian prison was 'endless, meaningless'". BBC News. 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  10. ^ a b "Jimmy Lai | The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". 2023-11-20. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  11. ^ a b "Protests, poisoning and prison: The life and death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny". AP News. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  12. ^ a b "Jamal Khashoggi | The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  13. ^ "Solidarity for Russian activist Aleksei Gorinov". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  14. ^ "Alexei Gorinov | The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards". 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  15. ^ "Félix Maradiaga". Freedom House. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  16. ^ "Felix Maradiaga". NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY. 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  17. ^ "A year since his murder, Thulani Maseko's killers still free". Amnesty International. 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  18. ^ Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign (2023-11-23). Thulani Maseko - Outstanding Human Rights Lawyer Award. Retrieved 2024-08-20 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "No Justice for Murder of Eswatini Activist | Human Rights Watch". 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
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