On Friday, March 22, 2024, an international human rights prize will be awarded to the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), which collects evidence of gross human rights violations in Belarus and promotes accountability for perpetrators.
“This is an important recognition and strong boost to our work in Belarus and especially to the courageous Belarusian human rights activists who fight for justice every day”, says Rasmus Grue Christensen, CEO of DIGNITY, which is the lead organization of the IABP.
He will be accepting the award in Graz on Friday together with Victoria Federova from the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, one of the IAPB’s co-lead organisations.
“We will continue to collect evidence of crimes under international law, to support accountability efforts from criminal justice authorities and international mechanisms. We hope that this award will once again shine a spotlight on the ongoing and escalating human rights violations in Belarus, from 2020 up to the present day. Together we hope for the expansion of the fight against impunity in national jurisdictions. We will not stop in our quest for justice.”
Pavel Sapelko, representative and lawyer from Viasna, IAPB’s co-lead organization, also welcomes the recognition.
“We rely on the courage of the victims of torture and the efforts of human rights defenders, who share their stories and expertise with us. This prize is for them.”
The International Accountability Platform for Belarus was established in 2021 by DIGNITY, Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna, International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus, and REDRESS. In addition, several other Belarusian and international organizations are also involved in the platform’s work.
They work together to ensure that evidence of gross human rights violations constituting crimes under international law is collected, verified, analyzed, and preserved so it can be used by national and international accountability bodies in proceedings against the perpetrators.
The award recognizes the initiative’s “outstanding efforts in combating impunity for human rights violations”.
The platform’s work is supported by a wide range of states, including Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the US as well as the European Union.
The Austrian University of Graz is behind the international prize, which has been awarded approximately every five years since 1992. Previous recipients include the 14th Dalai Lama and Volker Türk, who is currently the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLATFORM FOR BELARUS (IABP)
DIGNITY leads the work of the IAPB platform, which collects, verifies, and preserves evidence of possible international crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities and others in the run-up to and after the 2020 presidential elections. IAPB cooperates with, among others, the UN and prosecutors investigating gross human rights violations in Belarus.
DIGNITY – DANISH INSTITUTE AGAINST TORTURE
DIGNITY is an international human rights and development organization that has been working for a world free from torture and violence since 1982. DIGNITY prevents torture and violence, treats traumatized victims, and helps document serious human rights violations so that those responsible can be brought to justice.
For further information, please contact press advisor, Marie Torp Christensen, by phone +45 27577349 or email matc@dignity.dk
