Oleg Kozlovsky Receives Human Rights Award

As is being reported on the Human Rights in Russia website, coordinator of the Oborona movement, Oleg Kozlovsky, has received the Human Rights Award, conferred annually by the human rights organization Human Rights First. As they reported in the press-service of the organization, the 30th jubilee award ceremony will take place in New York on 23 October. Among the previous laureates of this award are the Russian human rights advocate Ludmilla Alexeeva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, philanthropist George Soros, dissident Natan Sharansky, senator Edward Kennedy, and other people who have made a significant contribution to the defense of human rights in the world and in their countries – reports Human Rights First.

This year, Oleg Kozlovsky will share the prize with Egyptian citizen and activist Nora Younis. On 20 December of the year 2007, Oleg Kozlovsky, one of the coordinators of «Oborona», was with the participation of the FSB unlawfully drafted into the army. «Oborona» and many other civic organizations declared then that this had as an aim the isolation of him as an organizer of protest actions for the period of the presidential campaign.For the release of Oleg Kozlovsky, unlawfully drafted into the army, human rights advocates unfurled a whole series of actions. A range of organizations, in particular the Ryazan Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, the Ryazan Memorial Society, the Oborona Movement implemented legal support for the Kozlovsky case. On 4 March of the year 2008 they managed to attain the demobilization of Oleg Kozlovsky from the AF – reports the portal “Human Rights in Russia.”On 6 May of the year 2007 Kozlovsky was once again unlawfully detained not far from the place where a “Dissenters’ March” was supposed to begin in Moscow. Moreover, engaged in his detaining was a special group of MVD agents in civilian clothing. On the charge “of participation in a non-approved rally and non-compliance with the police” he was arrested for 13 days, another several dozen people received shorter terms and fines.Human Rights First, awarding Oleg Kozlovsky — is an independent human rights organization, founded in the year 1978 and initially called the Lawyers Committee for International Human Rights. Since that time HRF has been engaged in problems of human rights in many countries of the world. This organization, whose headquarters is found in New York, is not affiliated with any parties and does not receive state financingFrom the editor: We congratulate Oleg Kozlovsky, a long-standing contributor to this blog, with the bestowal on him of a high award.