Statement on Mikhail Khodorkovsky Pardon

We are thrilled by the news this morning that Mikhail Khodorkovsky could shortly be pardoned and freed after 10 years of unjust incarceration. The Lantos Foundation has been actively protesting his political prosecution, rigged conviction, and continued incarceration throughout this shameful miscarriage of justice. We also welcome the fast track progress of an amnesty bill in the Russian Duma that could lead to the release of the young women of Pussy Riot and the lifting of charges against the Green Peace activists. These are all positive steps and we hope they are the harbinger of more reforms to come.

The announcement this morning indicated that Mr. Khodorkovsky would be released soon. We are cautiously optimistic, but we cannot celebrate this progress, until the deeds match the words. We hope that before the Holidays Mikhail is safely reunited with his loving family and amnesty is granted to the many other political prisoners in Russia.

As the world’s eyes turn to Russia for the upcoming Sochi Olympics, we hope that these steps towards reform and compassion will prove to be more than short-lived public relations gestures. Our hope for the people of Russia is that these actions represent a genuine desire to return to greater democracy and to build a society where the rule of law is respected, robust civil society is celebrated, and people are free to express themselves.

In this holy season, the freeing of Mikhail Khodorkovsky gives many of us cause to celebrate and to hope for a coming year with greater peace and goodwill towards all people.

MEDIA ADVISORY - Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Receive 2013 Lantos Prize

MEDIA ADVISORY
 
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Ray, Rabinowitz Communications, kate@rabinowitz.com, (202) 265-3000, (414) 614-3557
 
 
Former Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton to Receive 2013 Lantos Prize
 
Dec. 6 ceremony to take place in Cannon Caucus Room
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice will award the 2013 Lantos Human Rights Prize, its highest honor, to Hillary Rodham Clinton in an award ceremony December 6, 2013, at 11:00 am in the Cannon Caucus Room of the Cannon Office Building of the US House of Representatives in Washington.  The event is open to press and coverage is invited.

The Former Secretary of State will receive the award for her tireless efforts to promote human rights for women around the world and her groundbreaking work on promoting human rights through Internet freedom.  Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include the Dalai Lama, Elie Wiesel, Paul Rusesabagina and Chen Guangcheng.

“Hillary Rodham Clinton has gained global recognition for her leadership in so many critical arenas, but we are particularly proud to recognize the enormous contributions she has made to human rights causes,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “Her proclamation that ‘women’s rights are human rights’ changed the way the world thinks about human rights and opened doors for women in a way that only Hillary Clinton could. Furthermore, Secretary Clinton’s  pioneering work on Internet Freedom has  focused worldwide attention on the urgent need to “tear down the walls” of closed societies that seek to imprison their citizens behind internet firewalls that have become the iron curtains of this “virtual” century, She has also provided a powerful intellectual framework for advancing this central human right of our time.”

In nearly four decades of public service, Hillary Rodham Clinton has served as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, United States Senator and most recently as Secretary of State of the United States. Though she has championed a number of issues ranging from education to health care, Secretary Clinton is revered in the human rights community for her 1995 Beijing speech where she boldly stood up for women’s rights and became a true global champion for those issues. She also broke new ground in 2010 when she declared that governments that fail to allow for Internet freedoms are not only attempting to crush dissent, but to deny human rights.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, computer scientist and “father of the Internet” Vinton Cerf (by video) and Lantos Foundation president Katrina Lantos Swett will also speak.
The Lantos Foundation established the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2009 to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. The prize also serves to commemorate the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, and Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng.

WHO:  Hillary Rodham Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Vinton Cerf, Katrina Lantos Swett
WHAT:  The Lantos Foundation 2013 Lantos Prize Laureate Award Ceremony
WHEN:  Friday, December 6, 2013, 11:00 am
WHERE:  Cannon Caucus Room in the Cannon House Office Building, Washington
 
For more information, please call 603-226-3636. Press who wish to cover the ceremony should contact Kate Ray at kate@rabinowitz.com or 202-265-3000.The event will be live streamed at www.lantosfoundation.org.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton To Be Named 2013 Lantos Prize Laureate

November 7, 2013, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice today announced that it will award the 2013 Lantos Human Rights Prize, its highest honor, to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Former Secretary of State will receive the award for her tireless efforts to promote human rights for women around the world and her groundbreaking work on promoting human rights through Internet freedom.  Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include the Dalai Lama, Elie Wiesel, Paul Rusesabagina and Chen Guangcheng. The award ceremony will take in Washington, DC on December 6, 2013. It will be open to press and coverage is invited. 

“Hillary Rodham Clinton has gained global recognition for her leadership in so many critical arenas, but we are particularly proud to recognize the enormous contributions she has made to human rights causes,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “Her proclamation that ‘women’s rights are human rights’ changed the way the world thinks about human rights and opened doors for women in a way that only Hillary Clinton could. Furthermore, Secretary Clinton’s  pioneering work on Internet Freedom has  focused worldwide attention on the urgent need to “tear down the walls” of closed societies that seek to imprison their citizens behind internet firewalls that have become the iron curtains of this “virtual” century, She has also provided a powerful intellectual framework for advancing this central human right of our time.”

In nearly four decades of public service, Hillary Rodham Clinton has served as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, United States Senator and most recently as Secretary of State of the United States. Though she has championed a number of issues ranging from education to health care, Secretary Clinton is revered in the human rights community for her 1995 Beijing speech where she boldly stood up for women’s rights and became a true global champion for those issues. She also broke new ground in 2010 when she declared that governments that fail to allow for Internet freedoms are not only attempting to crush dissent, but to deny human rights.

The Lantos Foundation established the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2009 to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. The prize also serves to commemorate the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, and Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng.

Additional details about the award ceremony honoring Secretary Clinton will be announced soon. For information call the Lantos Foundation at 603-226-3636.

Lantos Foundation Announces Affiliation with Human Rights Activist Chen Guangcheng

Chinese Dissident to be Senior Advisor on Internet Freedom and Human Rights for People with Disabilities

The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice was enormously proud to award Chen Guangcheng the 2012 Lantos Prize – our Foundation’s highest honor.

This distinguished award is presented each year to a global figure who has shown extraordinary courage and leadership in the struggle for human rights. Mr. Chen was a particularly worthy recipient of the Lantos Prize. In the face of threats, persecution, and imprisonment, Guangcheng has demonstrated truly remarkable tenacity. His advocacy has spanned the spectrum of human rights concerns in China - encompassing the rights of persons with disabilities, environmental protection, women’s rights, democracy promotion, and internet freedom.

Like our founder, the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the breadth of Mr. Chen's human rights leadership, and the fearless way he has taken on critical human rights causes, regardless of the odds is admirable. 

These two men share another quality in common-fierce independence. Anyone who knew Tom Lantos understood that he was always his own man.  These brave human rights leaders are kindred spirits. Congressman Lantos never hesitated to make common cause with his colleagues of the right and the left when it was in defense of human rights. Tom Lantos passionately believed that the fight for human rights transcends the more prosaic political battles that occupy so much of our attention and rather than let ideological differences derail his advocacy for universal rights, he viewed human rights work as an opportunity to bring people together on the common ground of our shared values.  Chen Guangcheng embodies a similar spirit of independence and inclusion.

While Chen Guangcheng has become an icon of the global human rights movement, he is also an active leader and voice on behalf of literally tens of millions of Chinese citizens who are seeking to exercise the most basic freedoms of speech, conscience, assembly, and self-government. The Lantos Foundation is grateful that he has had the opportunity to pursue his work through NYU and we welcome his decision to continue this work at Catholic University and the Witherspoon Institute. We are also pleased to announce that Mr. Chen will bring his expertise and deep understanding to the Lantos Foundation where he will join us as a Distinguished Senior Advisor focused on Internet freedom and human rights for people with disabilities. We would also like to announce that later this fall Guangcheng will be a guest lecturer at the Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Policy at the UNH School of Law. We look forward to this and future collaborations.

The Lantos Foundation and the Tom Lantos Institute Take the Lead in Fighting Anti-Semitism

More than 50 Countries Represented at Conference by Ambassadors and Political Leaders

Budapest, Hungary—More than 550 people from around the world, including Ambassadors representing more than 50 countries gathered today at the opening of "Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe," a conference to address the alarming resurgence of anti-Semitism.

Representatives from Greece, Austria, Georgia, and Germany were among the participants. Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, and Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tibor Navracsics opened the two day conference in Budapest, Hungary.

“We are encouraged that many world leaders and policy makers have joined us today to discuss the important issue of anti-Semitism. We hope it will be the beginning of a greater dialogue aimed at solving this problem. Anti-Semitism is everyone’s issue, and we must come together to find a solution.” said Dr. Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute.

“The conference today was not intended to be a stand-alone event. Our aim is to be the preeminent organization fighting anti-Semitism in Europe, and this conference is just part of a broader strategy for addressing the issues of anti-Semitism,” continued Dr. Bíró.

Katrina Lantos Swett, daughter of Congressman Tom Lantos, President of the Lantos Foundation, and Co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute announced a Solidarity Sabbath scheduled for the Spring of 2014, which will bring world leaders together to stand in solidarity against anti-Semitism in their countries. “My father, Tom Lantos, a proud Hungarian- American once said “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest” This important conference exemplifies the vigilance my father was speaking about and I know he would be proud to see the Institute that bears his name, taking the lead on these vital issues.

The Tom Lantos Institute

The Tom Lantos Institute is an independent human and minority rights organization with a particular focus on Jewish and Roma communities and other transnational minorities. This conference is part of the Institute’s work focusing on Jewish communities. The Institute was named after Tom Lantos, the Hungarian-born American political leader, and the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the United States Congress.  Throughout his political career Congressman Lantos was a global leader in the struggle to advance human rights.  He was the Co-Founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Jewish Life and Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid inaugurate an international conference organized by the Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest

The high-profile event is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, the American Lantos Foundation and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. The conference will examine resurgent anti-Semitism in Europe; its causes and means of combating it.  It will also focus on the more encouraging story of the revival of Jewish life in Europe.

A number of prominent figures of the international political scene, distinguished experts on the topic, academics and representatives of the non-profit sector will participate in the conference. Hungary and the State of Israel will be represented at the opening ceremony, which will include speeches by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; Israeli Minister of Finance Yair Lapid; Foreign Minister János Martonyi; Annette Lantos, widow of the late Hungarian- American Congressman, Tom Lantos; and Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute.

The event will also be attended by Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zsolt Németh, Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Ilan Mor, and Cardinal Péter Erdő, who is also a trustee of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. Chairman of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Mario Silva will also be present, together with Sir Andrew Burns, United Kingdom Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues.

After the opening ceremony, the conference will continue with panels addressing the gathering’s two main topics. International experts will hold thematic presentations on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, as well as on other key issues affecting Jewish communities. The panels will examine ways of combating anti-Semitism and discuss topics such as Jewish identity, advocacy, education and culture.

“Clearly this event is one that has significant relevance from a political perspective. However, as an international research, education and human rights organization, the primary objective of the Tom Lantos Institute is to approach these challenging topics in a manner that brings all the tools of social science and honest academic inquiry to these difficult discussions.   We wish to provide a platform where top experts in the field, academics, NGOs and decision-makers can meaningfully discuss the key issues affecting Jewish communities in Europe. We believe this approach can help illuminate and inform the choices that political leaders must make. To that end, following the conference, concrete recommendations will be presented to decision-makers with the involvement of participating international experts,” Dr. Anna-Mária Bíró, Director of the Tom Lantos Institute emphasized. “While the protection of fundamental human rights, is partly, though not exclusively, the task of political leaders, these essential rights must never be politicized. These basic rights speak to our deepest values and principles, and the Tom Lantos Institute believes that the shared defense of human rights should be a unifying force in society” the director added.

The Tom Lantos Institute

The Tom Lantos Institute is an independent human and minority rights organization with a particular focus on Jewish and Roma communities and other transnational minorities. The conference is part of the Institute’s work focusing on Jewish communities. The Institute was named after Tom Lantos, the Hungarian-born American political leader, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the United States Congress.  Throughout his political career Congressman Lantos was a global leader in the struggle to advance human rights.  He was the Co-Founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Spain's Queen Sofia Accepts Disability Rights Award

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=998991&CategoryId=13304

HER MAJESTY QUEEN SOFÍA OF SPAIN ACCEPTS INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS AWARD

NEW YORK – September 9, 2013 – “If you don’t like something, change it. If something bothers you, confront it.”  These powerful words from a Spanish public service announcement represent the efforts the Kingdom of Spain has made toward improving the human rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in their country. The public service announcement was shown as part of today’s award ceremony honoring Spain’s efforts.

At the ceremony Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain accepted the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Rights Award on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain.  David B. Roosevelt, grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, presented the award to Her Majesty.  Also in attendance were Ivan Šimonović,UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Annette Lantos, wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, and other dignitaries.

Sponsored by the Lantos Foundation and the Roosevelt Institute, the award recognizes the significant progress Spain has made in advancing the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all societal areas.  

Susan B. Parker, Senior Advisor & Lead Judge for the award said, “Spain has taken the time to establish broad reaching legislation and implement that same legislation at the national level, at the regional level, and at the local level…They don’t just talk about it; they do it.”

The award is presented to a nation for noteworthy progress in upholding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to encourage effective, long-term, positive progress by nation states toward inclusion, equal rights, and quality of life for their citizens with disabilities

The award consists of a bronze bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, who contracted polio at the age of 39, and although a paraplegic, unable to walk or stand again unassisted, was four times elected by the American people. Additionally, a $50,000 cash award is given to a non-governmental organization working on behalf of persons with disabilities within the winning nation. 

The Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI) received this year’s cash award.  CERMI’s mission is to guarantee equal opportunities for women, men, and children with disabilities and to protect their human rights, ensuring they are fully included in society.

For more information about the award please visit our website.

Statement on President Obama Questioning President Putin on the Fate of Holocaust Hero, Raoul Wallenberg

The Wallenberg Family’s announcement that President Obama has agreed to raise the question of Raoul Wallenberg’s fate with Russian President Putin is welcome news to the Lantos Family and to the untold thousands who were rescued due to his heroism during World War II. Without Wallenberg’s extraordinary efforts, neither of my parents would have survived the Holocaust. They both dedicated their lives to seeking his freedom from the Russian gulag and, subsequently, to honoring Raoul’s memory and emulating his commitment to human rights. In fact, my mother, Mrs. Annette Lantos first brought up Wallenberg’s fate with another American President, Jimmy Carter, during a public radio call-in show in the 1970s. My father’s first act as a newly elected member of Congress was to introduce legislation which made Raoul Wallenberg an honorary American citizen - only the second individual so honored in our nation’s history. Today the Lantos Foundation continues their commitment to this remarkable humanitarian and diplomat by working to preserve Raoul Wallenberg’s memory and his rightful place in history as one of the greatest heroes of the Holocaust.

We are gratified by this news that the US government is going to reengage on Wallenberg’s fate after he disappeared in the Russian Gulag in 1945. The Wallenberg family richly deserves the answers they have been waiting nearly 70 years to hear.

Queen Sofía of Spain to Receive International Disability Rights Award at United Nations

WHAT: The Kingdom of Spain will be honored at the United Nations as the 2013 recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Disability Rights Award.  The award encourages United Nations member states to work toward full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all societal areas in keeping with United Nations Standards set forth in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The award is sponsored by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and the Roosevelt Institute.

The Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI) has been chosen as the recipient of a $50,000 cash grant.

WHO: Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain will accept the award presented by David B. Roosevelt, in the presence of Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović and other dignitaries.

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, 10:45 am to 12:00 noon

WHERE: Trusteeship Council Chamber, United Nations, New York, NY (47th Street and 1st Avenue entrance)

CONTACT: Denise Perron, Lantos Foundation, (603) 226-3636, (603) 290-1067, or deniseperron@lantosfoundation.org     

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  www. fdr-disability-rights-award.org

Note: Media who do not already have United Nations credentials should contact the Spanish Mission at pressoffice@spainun.org, no later than 12pm on Friday September 6th with their full name, ID, date of birth, affiliation and position (photo journalist, writer, video operator, etc.). Media who are credentialed should also contact pressoffice@spainun.org to indicate they will be attending.