Sakharov laureates pledge to continue fight against human rights violations

The seminar was hosted at the European Parliament premises with the participation of Sakharov Prize laureates who are in the French city for celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The laureates outlined the conditions they continue to live in and talked about their fight against injustice, while they explained how the Sakharov Prize has helped them in their struggle for freedom of speech and respect of human rights.

Taslima Nasreen, writer, Sakharov laureate of 1994, said she lives in exile since 1994.

She said she has been prevented by the government of Bangladesh to enter the country she was born in and raised and many of her books are banned in Bangladesh. She now lives in India.

She said “women are suppressed in the Indian subcontinent” and her job is to “help encourage women to think differently and to stand on their feet, get education. It is very difficult in that society to fight for women’s rights, because it is very patriarchic and misogynist. Muslim fundamentalists issued many fatwa against me both in Bangladesh and India. Some of them gain political power and become parliament members”.

Nasreen pledged to continue writing. “I’m not afraid of the fundamentalists. I will never be silenced”.

Wei Jingsheng, the 1996 laureate, “father of the Chinese democracy movement”, lives in exile but remains an active leader of the opposition to the Communists in China.

“I expected to see some developments in the field of human rights”, he said.

Although he lives in the US, he travels quite extensively and everywhere he travels he meets Chinese people who want to see a better and more democratic China. “Those people who live in China and want to see changes expect from people like me, who live abroad to cooperate with western countries to push forward the democratic development in China. And they would like to know what exactly is democracy abroad. They would like to see through the internet what kind of development is possible”, he told the seminar.

Wei said he has noticed “more tolerance on the part of the western governments towards the behaviour in China” and attributes this to economics. “Once corporations enter the Chinese markets they are asked to influence their governments to be more tolerant of China”.

What is most alarming, he said, “is that western governments seem to be less and less interested in human rights in China”.

Lately, Wei said, he has noticed some change especially on the part of the US and the EU as they are interested to see what is happening in China.

Christophe Deloire, of Reporters without Borders, Sakharov laureate of 2005 said the organization is a NGO, with few employees. Founded in France, based in Paris, it has divisions in 33 countries. It does not engage in journalism, but fights for freedom of information.

Currently, he said, there are 180 journalists throughout the world in prison, and there are 160 bloggers and citizens.

“We have to defend amateur reporters and non professionals who also contribute to the freedom of information,” said Deloire, adding “we operate in two levels. In the local level, through public speaking we defend journalists who are in prison or are censored. This strategy which is called “naming and shaming” is a strategy that works”.

It is thanks to this strategy, he added, “that recently we helped get the release of a radio journalist, who was imprisoned because he lent his microphone to the opposition”.

Journalists, he added, are chased by the secret service in some countries.

The organization also provides legal aid and personal safety equipment to journalists.

Deloire said the organization works for digital security because without it you cannot have physical security.

Awards like the Sakharov prize, he said, provides the organization more power and legitimacy in their cause and also helps as they have limited resources.

Asked how the Sakharov prize impacted their lives, Nasreen said it encouraged her to continue her work. The people in the subcontinent do not know much about it. “Maybe they now know because of news about Malala getting the prize. I hope that this great human rights prize will be known by many people, because of Malala Yousafzai. It helps me to fearlessly write what I have been writing the past two decades”.

Wei said that at the time he won the Sakharov prize, his supporters were exhilarated. “Personally, I do not consider fame and fortune significant. But it has encouraged my compatriots. That is the point of the prize”.

Asked why they believe governments are against what they promote, Nasreen said all governments should be pressured to correct abuses they commit against human rights. “I do not think that good politicians are against human rights activists. They don’t send them to prison. In those countries where human rights have been violated by the government, they should be criticized by the western European countries”.

Wei said that when a government or regime becomes too powerful then it suppresses freedom of expression. “We must keep balance and checks on the use and abuse of power. That’s the only way we can fight for democracy”, he remarked.

Invited to say what they think of Edward Snowden, Deloire said whistleblowers should have some kind of status and should be protected.

He said when Snowden found himself in Moscow airport, Reporters without Borders defended the notion that European states should provide asylum to Snowden. He said that as European citizens, if we feel Snowden has revealed essential information for freedom in Europe and if we, as citizens are happier that he has revealed it rather than be quiet, we need to be consistent.

Wei said Snowden’s whistle blowing is his way to fight for the suppression of the freedom of speech and expression and is a contribution to the US citizens.
On the other hand, he added, he (Snowden) works in a different way and with his behaviour he has in a way broken his contract with the US. “In a democratic society we have some responsibilities too”, he remarked.

Asked if the Sakharov prize should have been given to people like Snowden, MEP Barbara Lochbihler said the Sakharov candidates deserved it in their own right.

To a question how Europe can help in promoting their causes, Deloire said Europe has diplomatic tools through its delegations. But what is needed and becomes an issue is whether there is political will. “Whether or not it wants to pursue” and issue, he remarked.

Weui said he believes that there are many ways Europe can help less democratic countries.

China, he continued, is a country with huge size and big trade with Europe and the USA and the methods that can be used are up to the politicians. For example economic sanctions can be imposed, but it wouldn’t work with China. The EU can do more, he said, “than individual countries”.

MEP Lochbihler said the EU has a human rights strategy for every country they are in. “I think it is very important that the EU connects its human rights with the UN. We are very much on a safe ground. As a regional organization together with the international we can exercise a lot of pressure”, she said.