International awards "For Peace and Human Rights" held in Minsk

The award ceremony of the International Prize "For Peace and Human Rights" was held in the Belarusian capital.

It was organized by the Emil Czeczko Foundation and gathered human rights defenders, journalists and public figures from different parts of the world, including Poland, Hungary, Great Britain, Serbia, France, Russia, the USA, Australia, Germany and other countries.

Next year, the organizers plan to expand the geography to Africa and Asia.

Among the award winners is Ksenia Lebedeva, a columnist of the First News TV channel. She was the first to interview Emil Czeczko, who told the world what really happens at the border on the Polish side. Among the laureates from Belarus is Dmitriy Shevtsov, Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross. The role of a volunteer cannot be underestimated in migration conflicts.

A memorial plaque was unveiled in Grodno in honor of Emil Czeczko. It was placed on the building, which is located on a small street called Emil Czeczko Passage leading to the Polish Consulate. The name was given by the decision of the Grodno City Council of Deputies.

We shall remind you that at the end of December 2021 a Polish serviceman crossed the Polish-Belarusian border and asked for political asylum in our country. Emil Czeczko reported the facts of killing migrants at the border by Polish border guards. His testimony formed the basis of the criminal case. The Emil Ceczko Prize, established by the Emil Ceczko Foundation, has become an important award for those who tirelessly defend human rights.

This year, more than 100 applications were submitted, of which 60 nominees made it to the finals. Among them are such well-known personalities as Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today TV channel, American journalist Tucker Carlson, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto, and Russian journalist Alexander Malkevich. A total of 20 people were commended.