Syrian activists say the international award which imprisoned human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni received last week could boost the morale of rights campaigners in the country but is unlikely to have any impact on the authorities.
Bunni, 48, won the annual Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk on May 1. His wife Raghida Issa accepted the award on his behalf from Irish president Mary McAleese at a ceremony held in Dublin.
Bunni, a father of three, is director of the Centre for Legal Studies in Damascus and one of Syria's most prominent advocates of democratic reform. He has been a human rights activist since the early Nineties, when he began defending political prisoners in court and campaigned against the use of torture in detention.
In April 2007, Bunni was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading false information and joining a banned political group. He had been arrested in May 2006 after signing the "Beirut-Damascus Declaration", which was drafted by Lebanese and Syrian intellectuals and called on Damascus to reform its relations with Beirut.
The award given to Bunni is especially significant as only a handful of Syrian activists have been given such recognition in recent years.
Colleagues of the jailed lawyer said he was pleased to be given the award, as it honoured every activist and every victim of human rights abuses.
Mohammad al-Abdullah, a Syrian human rights activist based in Beirut, said the award was of great value. "It supports activists and helps them to keep on standing up for human rights. They won't feel they are alone in their fight," he said.
"We know the award won't affect the authorities' behaviour on human rights, but it's still an important step and one that is appreciated."
Bunni, 48, won the annual Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk on May 1. His wife Raghida Issa accepted the award on his behalf from Irish president Mary McAleese at a ceremony held in Dublin.
Bunni, a father of three, is director of the Centre for Legal Studies in Damascus and one of Syria's most prominent advocates of democratic reform. He has been a human rights activist since the early Nineties, when he began defending political prisoners in court and campaigned against the use of torture in detention.
In April 2007, Bunni was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading false information and joining a banned political group. He had been arrested in May 2006 after signing the "Beirut-Damascus Declaration", which was drafted by Lebanese and Syrian intellectuals and called on Damascus to reform its relations with Beirut.
The award given to Bunni is especially significant as only a handful of Syrian activists have been given such recognition in recent years.
Colleagues of the jailed lawyer said he was pleased to be given the award, as it honoured every activist and every victim of human rights abuses.
Mohammad al-Abdullah, a Syrian human rights activist based in Beirut, said the award was of great value. "It supports activists and helps them to keep on standing up for human rights. They won't feel they are alone in their fight," he said.
"We know the award won't affect the authorities' behaviour on human rights, but it's still an important step and one that is appreciated."
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