Accessibility links

Breaking News

Jailed Kazakh Rights Activist To Receive Top Prize


Vadim Kuramshin's activities have helped to raise awareness of violations of inmates' rights in Kazakh penitentiaries.
Vadim Kuramshin's activities have helped to raise awareness of violations of inmates' rights in Kazakh penitentiaries.
ASTANA -- A jailed Kazakh human rights defender, Vadim Kuramshin, will be formally awarded the prestigious 18th annual Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize in Paris.

Kuramshin's mother, Olga Koltunova, is expected to receive the prize at a ceremony in the French capital on December 5.

A jury of 29 European lawyers awarded the prize to Kuramshin in June. The first Ludovic-Trarieux human rights prize was awarded to Nelson Mandela in 1985.

Kuramshin's activities have helped to raise awareness of violations of inmates' rights in Kazakh penitentiaries, including the notorious EC 164/4 prison, where he is currently incarcerated.

Last month, Kazakhstan's Supreme Court rejected Kuramshin's appeal to overturn his prison sentence.

Kuramshin had been appealing a 12-year prison sentence that he began serving in December 2012 after being found guilty of extortion, a charge widely perceived to be politically motivated.

With reporting by "The Guardian"

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG