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Human Rights Law

: Never In Our Names

Hu Jia Wins EU Sakharov Prize

By possum

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Named for the physicist, Andrei Sakharov, the EU awards

the annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in order to honour individuals or organisations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and fundamental freedoms and against oppression and injustice

This year the prize is awared to Hu Jia, the Chinese dissident jailed in the Spring of this year for his actions in China.
The award comes in spite of Chinese warnings

that selecting the political prisoner would damage relations. China's ambassador to the EU wrote
If the European Parliament should award this prize to Hu Jia, that would inevitably hurt the Chinese people once again and bring serious damage to China-EU relations.

Hu Jia was jailed after expressing

concerns over human rights abuses by police in Beijing, including the arrest of activists without the necessary legal procedures

Hu started his activism as an AIDS activist in 2001. He is the co-founder of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education and of Loving Source, a grassroots organization dedicated to helping children from AIDS families.

Hu Jia was outspoken and open in his criticism of the Chinese government saying

Everyone should know that the country that is about to host the Olympics is one without democratic elections, freedom of religion, independent courts or independent unions. It prohibits protests and labor strikes. It is a state that carries out widespread torture, discrimination, and employs a large secret police system. It is a nation that violates human rights standards and human dignity, and is not ready to fulfil its international obligations.

Hu Jia's lawyer

told the Associated Press news agency the award showed that
the Chinese government should support and encourage people like Hu Jia, because you can never silence voices of opposition.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on October 23, 2008 (boomark / email).