Фото: instagram.com/villadecius
Belarusian lawyer and former political prisoner Maksim Znak has received the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award in Poland for his contribution to the development of dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. The award ceremony took place in Kraków on October 22, Deutsche Welle reports.
Accepting the award, Znak emphasized that he was dedicating it to all Belarusians who stood up for their rights in 2020 and continue to do so today.
“I accept this award as one of the Belarusians who deserve it just as much, who stood up for the right cause in 2020 and continue to stand up for it today. Those who are in prison. Those who are in exile. Those who are at home and forced to remain silent, but have not given up and never will,” he said.
In his speech, Znak highlighted Vieira de Mello’s willingness to engage in dialogue and stressed the importance of negotiations in finding solutions that can save lives. He noted that around 1,000 people in Belarus have been recognized as political prisoners, many others are subject to other forms of punishment, and still others are forced to remain silent.
Maksim Znak also recalled his colleague and friend Dmitri Laevski, who had defended Znak himself, Ales Bialiatski, Viktar Babaryka and many other political prisoners and was sentenced to three years in prison.
The Sérgio Vieira de Mello Award was established by the Villa Decius Association in memory of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was killed in Iraq in 2003. It is presented to individuals and organizations that make a special contribution to dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among different societies, religions and cultures.
In the non-governmental organization category, the award went to the Argentine human rights organization Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo (“Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo”). Laureates receive a statuette and a cash prize.
Previous recipients of the award include Belarusian politician Aliaksandr Milinkevich, who received it in 2006; the Viasna Human Rights Center, in 2020; and journalist Andrzej Poczobut, in 2023.