Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017
Laureate of the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 17 was awarded to Murat Arslan, a Turkish lawyer, judge, and defender of the independence of the judiciary.
Three Candidates Shortlisted for the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
Murat Arslan Turkish lawyer, former judge-rapporteur of the Turkish Constitutional Court, long-time fighter for the independence of the judiciary. He was placed in custody in 2016 and in January 2019 was sentenced to 10 years in prison without the presence of a legal representative. On March 10, 2022, Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the 10-year sentence. Arslan remains in prison despite meeting the legal conditions for release. The Platform for an Independent Turkish Judiciary, which brings together four major associations of European judges, reported that Arslan faces difficult conditions in prison.
Hungarian Helsinki Committee A non-governmental human rights organisation founded in 1989 and based in Budapest, it carries out a broad range of activities in the area of human rights with a particular focus on access to justice and the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons.
Father Georg Sporschill (Austria) A Jesuit who has devoted his life to the care of the most vulnerable, notably children. He has set up an association (Elijah) which carries out numerous projects in Austria, Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova and Romania.