On October 4, 2024, the Bruno Kreisky Foundation for Services to Human Rights awarded the oldest and most prestigious human rights prize in Austria, named after former Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, for the 20th time.
The jury of the Bruno Kreisky Prize for Services to Human Rights, composed of independent experts, has awarded the international Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Prize 2024 to Evgenia Kara-Murza and her husband Vladimir Kara-Murza.
As Advocacy Director of the Free Russia Foundation, she is committed to exposing human rights violations in the Russian Federation. Multilateral oversight mechanisms are used to enforce the Russian government's international commitments to human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to support Russian anti-war and democracy activists.
Der Journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza hat den Preis erhalten, als er noch wegen Hochverrats in einem politisch motivierten Fall nach der Gründung eines Antikriegskomitee 2022 zu 25 Jahren Straflager verurteilt und in einer Strafkolonie in Sibirien in Haft war. Seit dem Tod von Alexej Nawalny zählt er zu den prominentesten Kritiker:innen der Politik des russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin. Am 1. August 2024 wurde er im Rahmen eines größeren Gefangenaustausches aus der Haft entlassen und aus Russland ausgeflogen.
In addition to Evgenia and Vladimir Kara-Murza, the doctor Dr. Gerald Rockenschaub was honored for his decades of dedicated work for the World Health Organization (WHO). As a doctor, he has repeatedly found himself in the midst of international conflicts. As a "health diplomat" between the conflicting parties in health matters, he initiated acute humanitarian interventions or basic measures such as infection prevention, hygiene and ensuring health care.
In addition, an institution, the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF), was awarded the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Prize. This umbrella organization of 16 autonomous women's shelters in Austria has been active since 1988 and serves as an information hub, support, service and representation for all members in the prevention of violence against women and their children. The AÖF association is a member of WAVE - Women Against Violence Europe, a European network against violence against women, and tries to offer more protection for women and their children through numerous activities and intensive public relations work as well as political persuasion initiatives.
Recording of the award ceremony by the Bruno Kreisky Forum
The media response to the event was also considerable and included several newspaper reports and an interview in ZIB 2:
ZIB 2 Interview with Vladimir Kara-Murza and Martin Thür
News@ORF.at article
The Pioneer, online
Die Welt News