Front Line Defenders Announces Names of the 5 Finalists for Front Line Defenders

Award 2015
On Wednesday 10 March the Jury for the 2015 Front Line Defenders Award for Human
Rights Defenders at Risk announced the 5 finalists for this year's Award, all o
f whom are either in jail, in hiding or face the threat of jail because of their
peaceful work defending the rights of others. The five were chosen from nominat
ions received from 27 countries.
Dublin, Ireland, March 11, 2015 -- The Front Line Defenders Award is presented a
nnually to a human rights defender who has made an exceptional contribution to d
efending the human rights of others in her/his country.
Around the world human rights defenders are smeared in the media, arrested and i
ntimidated and accused of undermining the interests of the state or involvement
in terrorism. The Front Line Defenders Award recognises the legitimacy of their
work and highlights their role in creating more just and equal societies.
The Jury, consisting of: Mr Pat Breen TD, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on F
oreign Affairs and Trade, Senator Averil Power, Mr Simon Coveney TD, Minister fo
r Agriculture and the Marine, Mr Ruairi Quinn TD, Mr Sami Alhaj, representing Al
Jazeera and Ms Noeline Blackwell, Board of Trustees, Front Line Defenders recei
ved nominations from 27 countries.
"As we celebrate the courage and commitment of 5 exceptional human rights defend
ers it is a matter of deep concern that all of the Finalists for this year's Fro
nt Line Defenders Award are either in jail, in hiding or face the threat of jail
simply because they have the courage to defend the rights of others" said Mary
Lawlor, Executive Director, Front Line Defenders, following the jury meeting wh
ich took place in Buswell's Hotel in Dublin.
The Finalists for the 2015 Front Line Defenders Award are:
Juan Carlos Flores Sols Mexico, an environmental rights campaigner, was recently r
eleased from prison, but has a charge pending, because he led the opposition of
local peasant and indigenous communities to the construction of a gas pipeline o
n their land near an active volcano.
Diane Marie Rodrguez Zambrano Ecuador, LGBTI rights activist and the first trans w
oman to stand for public office in Ecuador is currently living iin a safe house
following death threats because of her work promoting the rights of the transgen
der community.
Guo Feixiong a Chinese legal activist, also known has Yang Maodong, has been rep
eatedly jailed and brutally tortured for challenging corruption, defending the r
ights of human rights defenders, minority groups and small farmers whose land ha
d been confiscated. He is currently in prison awaiting sentencing.
Rasul Jafarov one of the most prominent HRDs in Azerbaijan, was arrested on bogu
s charges of
illegal enterprise, tax evasion, and abuse of official power. A lawye
r by profession, Rasul Jafarov is Head of the Human Rights Club and Coordinator
of the Art for Democracy campaign, which has launched several campaigns against
politically-motivated imprisonment, including the Sing for Democracy campaign wh
ich took place in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2012. His is
still in detention and his trial is ongoing.
Yara Sallam - Egypt is a human rights lawyer with the Egyptian Initiative for Pe
rsonal Rights (EIPR). On 21 June 2014, she was arrested with other protesters d
uring a peaceful demonstration against the controversial Protest Law . On 29 October 20
14, Yara, and a number of other activists, were convicted on these charges, desp

ite the absence of

of the event. She
e monitoring and a
s later reduced on
no fine.

credible evidence and clear inconsistencies in police reports

was sentenced to three years' imprisonment,three years' polic
fine of 10,000 Egyptian Pounds (approx. 1,098). This sentence wa
appeal to two years' imprisonment, two years' monitoring and

It is hoped that the publicity surrounding the Front Line Defenders Award will h
elp the 5 finalists to build international support for their work.
The winner of the 2015 Front Line Defenders Award will be announced at an event
in Dublin's City Hall on 1 May.
About Front Line Defenders:
Front Line Defenders in the international Foundation for the Protection of Human
Rights Defenders at Risk. Front Line Defenders works to provide effective and p
ractical support to human rights defenders who are being targetted because of th
eir peaceful work defending the rights of others.
For further Information please contact:
Jim Loughran, Head of Media and Communications, Front Line Defenders Tel +353 1
212 37 50 MOBILE +353 (0)87 231 60 49
Editorial Note A more detailed profile of each of the 5 finalists is available o
n request.
Contact:
Jim Loughran
Front Line Defenders
Grattan House, Temple Road
Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
+353 1 212 37 50
jim@frontlinedefenders.org
http://www.frontlinedefenders.org