Shirin Ebadi awarded Bonn International Democracy Prize

The Iranian lawyer, human-rights activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Bonn International Democracy Prize on Thursday, May 20. The Chairman of the awarding body, Deutsche Welle Director General Erik Bettermann, presented her with the 10,000 euro prize at a ceremony in Bonn. Minister of State Werner Hoyer made the presentation speech in front of 250 guests from politics, culture, business and media.

“For many years, Shirin Ebadi has been fighting fearlessly so that the constitutionally-given rights of people in Iran – especially women and children – are really upheld,” stated Bettermann about the Jury’s decision. “Since the presidential elections in 2009 and the corresponding domestic disputes, attempts have been made to silence the winner of Nobel Peace Prize. With the Bonn International Democracy Prize, the jury wanted to award Shirin Ebadi personally, in light of the climactic domestic disputes, but also out of solidarity for the democratic movement in Iran.”

“This prize is for all of the people and groups in Iran who have fought for democracy in the past and who never shied from the consequences,” Shirin Ebadi said in her acceptance speech. “The green movement is a democratic and not an ideological movement. It unites people with differing opinions and dispositions. It is the first time that different groups in Iran joined forces to foster democracy and human rights – even when it meant sacrificing their lives and their freedom. When a society is so devoted and united to a cause, it will succeed.”

Minister of State from the German Federal Foreign Office, Werner Hoyer, stated in his presentation speech: “What impresses me is your determination to stand up for the men, women and children in your country. I am impressed by your courage – never giving up when something gets in your way. With all of the difficulties that you have faced, we could have understood if you had given up, filled with bitterness. But you were never overcome by your setbacks. And I thank you for that.”

Bonn’s Mayor Jürgen Nimptsch underlined the fact that Shirin Ebadi belongs “to the people in her society that take on responsibility.” He warned that “there are more conflicts in Iran than just the fight over atomic weapons.” Nimptsch went on to say that as a UN city, Bonn was committed to the “facilitation of democracy and freedom, for human rights and socially-just, sustainable development around the world.”

At a ceremonial dinner in honor of the award winner, Armin Laschet, the Minister for Integrational Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia said that Shirin Ebadi makes it clear that “Iran is and can be more than an autocratic regime, where freedom is lacking and oppression rules.” He went on to say that Shirin Ebadi reminds people in the West that “freedom, due process and human rights shouldn’t be taken for granted – they are in fact extremely valuable.”

The former Czech president Václav Havel won the first prize in 2009 for his lifelong work.

The Bonn International Democracy Prize is awarded at least once every two years. It is awarded to a person or entity that has greatly contributed to democracy and human rights in their country. The goal of the Bonn International Democracy Prize is to create a link between the successful experiences in Germany and international development and democratization.

The prize itself is a glass sculpture that was designed and produced by students from the public technical college for glass and ceramic work in North Rhine-Westphalia.

This morning, the German Federal Agency for Civic Education also awarded the Young Democracy Prize at Museum König in Bonn. The award is given to an outstanding project dedicated to democracy or active participation from young citizens in Europe.

Bonn, May 20, 2010