Binayak Sen awarded human rights prize
April 22nd, 2011 - 8:06 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Activist Binayak Sen, who last week got bail from the Supreme Court in a case of sedition, has been awarded a prestigious South Korean award for human rights for 2011.
The Gwangju award, announced Thursday by the 2011 Gwangju Prize Committee in Seoul, is presented to those working on peace, democracy and justice issues in Asia. Carrying a sum of $50,000, it has been conferred on Sen for his contribution in the field of human rights and democracy.
“Sen has provided health services for the poor and by his strong advocacy against human rights violations and structural violence inflicted on the poor in Chhattisgarh. Apart from that, he has also been active in the People’s Union for Civil Liberties documenting human rights violations occurring during the anti-Naxalite (Maoist) conflict,” said a member of the prize committee.
Arrested in May 2007 on charges of links with the outlawed Maoists, Sen was convicted by the additional session judge of Raipur Dec 24, 2010, for waging war against the state, entering into criminal conspiracy and sedition. The Chhatisgarh High Court Feb 10 rejected Sen’s plea seeking the suspension of sentence and bail during the pendency of his appeal.
He was granted bail by the Supreme Court April 15, with the court observing there was no case of sedition against Sen and he was at best a Maoist sympathiser.
- Binayak Sen plans campaign against sedition law - Sep 12, 2011
- Talks with Maoists will be fruitful, Binayak Sen asserts - Sep 08, 2011
- Chhattisgarh issued notice on Binayak Sen's bail plea (Lead) - Mar 11, 2011
- Supreme Court to hear Binayak Sen's bail plea - Mar 11, 2011
- Binayak Sen walks out of jail, says I am no traitor - Apr 19, 2011
- Supreme Court grants bail to Binayak Sen, family overjoyed - Apr 15, 2011
- Supreme Court grants bail to Binayak Sen - Apr 15, 2011
- I am not a traitor: Binayak Sen - Apr 18, 2011
- Supreme Court issues notice to Chhattisgarh Govt. on Sen bail plea - Mar 11, 2011
- Binayak Sen's family ecstatic over dropping of sedition charges - Apr 15, 2011
- Binayak Sen case timeline - Dec 24, 2010
- Supreme Court adjourns Binayak Sen's bail plea till Friday - Apr 11, 2011
- Chidambaram welcomes SC verdict on Binayak Sen - Apr 15, 2011
- Binayak cannot leave the country without permission - Apr 18, 2011
- Bengal Left hails Sen's bail - Apr 15, 2011
Tags: chhattisgarh, civil liberties, criminal conspiracy, dec 24, gwangju, health services, human rights violations, justice issues, maoist, maoists, naxalite, New Delhi, pendency, prize committee, raipur, rights and democracy, s union, sedition, seoul, structural violence