A detainee received Martin Ennals Award 2023.

The human rights defender Khurram Ashraf uz zaman received Martin Ennals Award 23 under detention.

Khurram Parvez, an incarcerated Kashmiri human rights defender, is among the three activists chosen for the Martin Ennals Award 2023. He has pioneered the human rights movement.

According to the Martin Ennals Award, the Martin Ennals Award 2023 will honor three outstanding activists. These activists pioneered human rights movements in Venezuela, Chad, and Kashmir. The Martin Ennals Award 2023 will be presented to them on February 16th, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland.

A jury of ten leading human rights NGOs selected the three human rights defenders for the Martin Ennals Award 2023. The NGOs include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Huridocs, Bread for the World, Human Rights First, World Organisation Against Torture, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and Front Line Defenders. The jury chose these defenders after much deliberation, believing they deserve recognition and honor from the Award in 2023.

The Laureates

The common denominator between the 2023 Laureates is their courage, passion, and determination. Feliciano Reyna from Venezuela, Delphine Djiraibé from Chad, and Khurram Parvez from Kashmir all bring the voice of the voiceless to the international arena. They do this despite enduring ongoing, sometimes life-threatening, challenges.

“We are particularly proud to honor these three exceptional Laureates who have each dedicated over 30 years of their lives to building movements which brought about justice for victims or delivered medicines to the marginalized. They have made human rights real for thousands of people in their communities,” said Hans Thoolen, Chair of the Martin Ennals Award Jury.

Khurram Parvez

“It was at the age of 13, when Khurram Parvez witnessed the shooting of his grandfather during a protest demonstration against the molestation of women outside his house in Kashmir, that he chose to not incite violence and become part of some revenge, but rather to become a nonviolent activist,” the statement said.

It said, “He founded the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and is the Chair of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances. For 15 years he travelled to the most remote parts of the region to sit with victims of abuse, collect documentation and report on their stories. Under his leadership, the JKCCS has been highly effective in translating the protections guaranteed in international human rights law into local realities”.

“Despite continued attacks on his right to freedom of expression by the Indian government, being jailed in 2016 and losing a leg to landmines, Khurram relentlessly spoke the truth and was an inspiration to civil society and the local population. In November 2021, he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on politically motivated charges. He remains detained without trial in India,” the statement added.

Time magazine recognized Khurram as one of the most prominent human rights actors in Kashmir. They paid him a major tribute by including him in their list of the 100 most influential people of 2022.

“The soft-spoken Khurram is almost a modern-day David who gave a voice to families that lost their children to enforced disappearances, allegedly by the Indian State. Khurram is the story and the storyteller of the insurgency and the betrayal of the people of Kashmir,” said Journalist Rana Ayyub.

Martin Ennals Award

The Martin Ennals Award, created in 1992, is an annual prize. It provides recognition, support, and protection to human rights defenders from across the globe.

The Award gives visibility to the Laureates and highlights the situation in their country. The Ville de Genève will co-host the MEA Ceremony on February 16th, 2023, at the Salle communale de Plainpalais.

The Ceremony livestreams and attracts many local and international human rights supporters. It is an uplifting event that celebrates the achievements and commitment of exceptional human rights defenders.

Source: Free Press Kashmir