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Winner of the 2014 VH Prize

Anar Mammadli

Anar Mammadli Anar Mammadli is a renowned Azerbaijani human rights defender who has made a marked contribution to the respect of human rights and free elections in his region. He is founder and chairman of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS), which since 2001 has monitored votes in Azerbaijan. In December 2013, Anar Mammadli was charged with “abuse of office” and this May was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

Human Rights 25 Years After

The Václav Havel Library has organised an international conference in honour of the laureate; Human Rights 25 Years After took place at the Prague Crossroads on 1 October, 2014. Alongside all the finalists from 2014, the 2013 year’s winner, Ales Bialiatski, also joined the conference. Mr. Bialiatski was unjustly imprisoned at the time his prize was presented but was released this summer under a presidential amnesty.

9:00 – 9:15 WELCOME SPEECH 

  • MARTA SMOLÍKOVÁ, Václav Havel Library
  • FRANTIŠEK JANOUCH, Charta 77 Foundation

9:15 – 10:00 Panel I. INTERVIEW WITH THE WINNER OF THE VÁCLAV HAVEL HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE 2014  

  • MODERATOR: MAREK A. NOWICKI, Václav Havel Human Rights Prize Jury, Poland

10:00 – 11:15 Panel II. REFLECTIONS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WORLD

What is the state of human rights globally, 25 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain? Are we doing any better? Who is scoring better and who is losing? How has the concept of basic human rights developed in 25 years? What are the new innovative concepts to define human rights?   And what are the proper tools and incentives to improve the situation?

  • MODERATOR: MARTIN PALOUŠ, Václav Havel Library, Czech Republic
  • SHIN DONG-HYUK, NGO Inside NK, North Korean defector
  • JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE MALTA, the finalist of the Václav Havel Human Prize 2014, represented by Katrine Camilleri

11:45–1:15 PANEL III. THE ORIGIN AND ROLE OF LEADERS IN THE FREE AND UNFREE WORLDS

What should be done to foster really democratic,charismatic leaders in undemocratic, unfree conditions? How can authority be gained in undemocratic conditions? How are leaders and role models born?

  • MODERATOR: JIŘÍ PEHE, New York University Prague, Czech Republic
  • ALES BIALIATSKI, 2013 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize laureate, Belarus
  • ŠIMON PÁNEK, People in Need, Czech Republic
  • PETRUŠKA ŠUSTROVÁ, journalist, Czech Republic
  • ASAF MAMMADOV, father of Anar Mammadli, the winner of the 2014 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, Azerbaijan

2:00–3:30 PANEL IV. THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN EASTERN EUROPE

What has been the path of post-Soviet countries in the last 25 years? What has the impact of Russian-Ukrainian conflict been for other countries in the region? What are the prognoses for Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus? How real are threats to minorities (ethnic Tartars, Jews, etc.)?

  • MODERATOR: JAN MACHÁČEK, Václav Havel Library, Czech Republic
  • MUSTAFA DZHEMILEV, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Ukraine
  • YEVHEN HLIBOVYTSKY, pro.mova, Ukraine 
  • IVLIAN HAINDRAVA, National Security Council, Georgia
  • PETR KOLÁŘ, lawyer, former diplomat, Czech Republic

3:30–5:00 PANEL V. THE THREAT OF A NEW DIVISION OF EUROPE AND THE WORLD

How real is the treat of a new division of Europe? How real is the threat of a new Cold War? How prepared are we for such an alternative? What should be the divisions in a globally interconnected world? Are we willing to defend freedom and democracy? Are we ready to sacrifice anything?

  • MODERATOR: MAGDALÉNA VÁŠÁRYOVÁ, Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
  • MAREK A. NOWICKI, Human Rights Lawyer, Poland
  • ONDŘEJ SOUKUP, Hospodářské noviny, Czech Republic
  • B’TSELEM (Israel), the finalist of the Václav Havel Human Prize 2014, represented by Hagai El-Ad and Muhammad Sabah
  • KAREL SCHWARZENBERG, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, founder of the Václav Havel Library

5:00–5:15 CLOSING REMARKS

  • KAREL SCHWARZENBERG, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, founder of the Václav Havel Library

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