The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) presents the ‘Albie Award’ for Defenders of Democracy. to the Human Rights Lawyers Center From helping those facing political charges for demonstrating and calling for democracy in Thailand.
(VOA, Yiamyut Sutthichaya) Information from the foundation’s press release page on August 14 states that the Human Rights Lawyers Center (Lawyers Center), a civil society organization in Thailand. Received the award because “Protecting thousands of students, activists and journalists who have been arrested under Thai law. That makes peaceful assembly and speech a crime.”
The CFJ Foundation was established by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her husband, American celebrity George Clooney. The Albee Award is presented for the second year. The award is named after Albie Sacks, Judge of the Constitutional Court. South Africa It was one of those who played a role in bringing about the end of apartheid in South Africa. The Albies Award recognizes those who have risked their lives and dedicated their lives to justice.
Amal and George Clooney said in a statement: “Brave defenders of justice around the world. All face enormous dangers that cannot be eliminated overnight. But what can we do? In addition to the daily work of the foundation is to shine a spotlight on the dangers these individuals face. To raise the stakes for the threat actor.”
In addition to the Lawyers Center, the second recipient of the ALBI award is Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who played a role in saving the victims’ lives. and stop the use of rape as a tool of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohamedi, Iranian journalists whose story on Mahza Amini’s death led to mass protests in Iran in 2022, the Truth Hounds organization, which played a role in exposing war crimes in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, and the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, which campaigns for rights and freedoms in Syria.
The Lawyers Center was established a few days after military and security leaders Used force to seize power from the civilian government led by Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014, and people were summoned to report, arrested, imprisoned, and put people on trial in military courts. By the Lawyers Center Responsible for recording information on human rights violations in Thailand Providing legal assistance to those affected and disseminate knowledge about laws and justice reform.
Data from the Lawyers’ Center records that from the protests calling for political reform and reform of the monarchy in 2020 until August 2023, at least 1,925 people have been prosecuted for protesting and expressing political opinions. Of those, 257 people have been charged under Section 112 of the Criminal Code or the lèse majesté law.
The schedule for receiving awards will be announced at the New York Public Library this September.
Photo: ฮินะจังปลดแอก, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
