Martin Ennals Award announces that its nominees for 2010 are human rights defenders from China, Colombia, Ethiopia and Syria

Human rights defenders from China, Colombia, Ethiopia and Syria

Today Eric Sottas announced the nominees for the Martin Ennals Award 2010 during the closing of the Film festival and forum on human rights in Geneva. Eric Sottas is the Secretary General of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and its representative on the Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA).

The Martin Ennals Award is a unique collaboration of ten international human rights organisations which constitute the Jury: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line, International Commission of Jurists, German Diakonie, International Service for Human Rights and HURIDOCS.

The four nominees are Mr. Wan Yanhai (China), Ms Aida Quilcué (Colombia), Mr. Daniel Bekele (Ethiopia) and Mr. Muhannad Al Hassani (Syria). These persons have shown exceptional courage in their struggle for the respect of human rights in their country and continue to take risks in view of their work. Mr. Muhannad Al Hassani is until now in prison. It is therefore important to make the respective national authorities aware about the situation of the nominees and that the international community is being mobilised to give them protection.

On 7 May 2010 the name of the Laureate of the Martin Ennals Award for this year will be announced in Geneva at a press conference. The Award will be presented on 15 October during the annual ceremony jointly organised by the Martin Ennals Foundation and the Ville de Genève.

For more information, please contact:

Secretariat of the Martin Ennals Award: Tel. +4122 8094925 / 076 3923392; info@martinennalsaward.org ; or log onto www.martinennalsaward.org