From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 5/24/2006 3:46 PM
23.5.2006 13:17 MSK
Russian-Chechen Information Agency receives Gerd Butserius award
GERMANY, Hamburg. On May 19th, in Hamburg’s Town Hall, the Russian-Chechen Information Agency (RCHIA) received the "Free Press of Eastern Europe Award - 2006", named after Gerd Butserius. RCHIA Editor-in-Chief and Executive Director of the Society of Russian- Chechen Friendship Society, Stanislav Dmitriyevsky, participated in the presentation ceremony.
The RCHIA reported that the presentation was attended by a large number of politicians, public servants, businessmen and representatives of the media, who filled the entire town hall. Editor of the English-language version of RCHIA Oxana Chelysheva also participated.
Speeches to the gathering were delivered by ex-Chancellor of Germany Helmut Schmidt and editor of the weekly "Die Zite", Teo Zommer.
The RCHIA award document stated that: "The purpose of the Russian- Chechen Information Agency is the publication of truthful reporting about Chechnya and from Chechnya despite the fact that this is not welcomed by the powers that be. A criminal process is currently being carried out against Stanislav Dmitriyevsky because he and his colleagues have reported on violations of human rights and insisted on freedom of expression. “The best protection is attack” is Dmitriyevsky’s daring motto. The RCHIA’s candidature was advanced by the "Human Rights House Foundation", by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and by the Rafto Human Rights House Institute, Bergen. The award is 20000 Euro to be used to further the development of the agency."
The award was founded by jurist, politician, businessman, publisher, and journalist Gerd Butserius, who was awarded the title of “Honorable Citizen of Hamburg”. In his speech, ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said of Butserius: "Gerd Butserius knew how to maintain his civic role not only during the administration of Hitler, whom he despised, but also during the country’s control by people he respected. Butserius survived 12 terrible years of German history, during which he suffered. But he found the courage to defend Jews in court and hid the Jewish man Eric Blumenfeld in his house".
In addition to the RCHIA, awards were presented to the following publications and journalists: the newspaper "Solidarity", Minsk; the newspaper "Ukrainian Truth", Kiev; the newspaper "Soviet Kalmikiya Today"; the newspaper "Vyborg Lists", Vyborg, and journalists Veronica Shakhova, Blagoveshchenk, and Fatima Tlisova, Nalchik.
Translated by OM Kenney
PRIMA-News Agency [2006-05-22-Rus-30]
http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2006/5/23/36038.html
