Israeli President Shimon Peres to Be Named 2014 Lantos Prize Laureate

June 2014, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice announced today that the 2014 Lantos Human Rights Prize will be awarded to Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel. President Peres will receive the award for his unwavering dedication to the profound values of democracy and human rights that form the foundation of the State of Israel, as well as his pursuit of peace, justice and reconciliation in the Middle East. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, Paul Rusesabagina, and Chen Guangcheng. The award ceremony will take in place in Washington, DC on June 26, 2014. It will be open to press and coverage is invited.

“The nominating committee’s decision to honor President Peres with this award was inspired by Shimon Peres’ over 60 years of extraordinary leadership as a builder of his nation, as a global statesman and as a tireless and inspired advocate for peace and justice in the Middle East”, said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. “President Peres stands out as a leader whose passion  for his country and his people is equaled by his commitment to the cause of peace for all people of the region.”

Over the course of his career, President Peres has received numerous honors for his efforts in the Middle East, and the Lantos Human Rights Prize further recognizes his dedication to democracy and civil liberty. Peres was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. He later went on to establish the Peres Center for Peace. Despite enormous tensions and challenges in the Middle East, Peres has been an eloquent advocate for the fundamental human rights of all peoples. 

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.

Additional details about the award ceremony honoring President Shimon Peres will be announced soon. For information call the Lantos Foundation at 603-226-3636. Press inquiries should be directed to 202.265.3000. 

Statement from Lantos Foundation President on the Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre

“Tragically, 25 years ago the Chinese government used brute force to crush the 89 Movement but the spirit of the heroes of Tiananmen lives on. In the long run, the power of their moral and spiritual leadership will triumph over the brutality of the butchers and dictators. But the outcome of the struggle for democracy and human rights is not a foregone conclusion - it depends on the unwavering and outspoken support of the forces of freedom. It also requires leaders to see beyond economic and political considerations to the even more important values that make a decent society possible.”

Statement from the Lantos Foundation on Yom Hashoah

On this day when the world remembers the unimaginable tragedy of the Holocaust, we at the Lantos Foundation feel a renewed sense of dedication to the work of our founder, Congressman Tom Lantos. As the only survivor of the Holocaust ever to serve in Congress, Tom brought unparalleled personal passion and insight into the task of remembering the six million victims of the Nazi death machine. Equally, he was a tireless voice of warning about the dangers of bigotry and hatred once again threatening the Jewish people.

At a time when the world is witnessing a level of open and virulent anti-Semitism unseen on the continent of Europe in over seventy years, Tom’s spirit of vigilance and warning is more relevant than ever. As he so memorably said, “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.” On this solemn day of remembrance, we call upon all people of goodwill to resist and respond to all manifestations of this ancient and despicable prejudice and to “never rest” in the pursuit of human rights and dignity for all humanity.    

Statement from Chen Guangcheng on the Death of Cao Shunli

Statement from Lantos Foundation Senior Advisor on internet freedom and human rights for people with disabilities, Chen Guangcheng:

"I am writing on behalf of Chen Guangcheng, who wishes to make known the death of human rights activist and lawyer Cao Shunli. She died while in government custody, after taking part in peaceful protests in Beijing, related to the drafting of the Human Rights Report in which the government prepares and delivers a report to the UN on its human rights situation. UN requirements dictate that the process be open to the public for comment and participation, but in China the work went on behind closed doors.

Cao Shunli was detained in September of 2013 when she was preparing to board a flight to Switzerland to take part "in human rights training on UN mechanisms," as Front Line Defenders reports. Only much later did her family learn about her whereabouts, at which point many human rights defenders and lawyers urged her to hire a lawyer and sign the proper paperwork. Unfortunately, she and her family were told by the security police that she shouldn't hire a lawyer, that they were just holding her until after the UN human rights conference regarding China's participation in the UNHRC last October was over. Soon after the conference, however, her family was given an official notice of arrest, at which point she was placed in a detention center.

For some time there had been news of her illness in custody, but her family's pleas to allow her to receive proper medical attention were ignored.

Then, around February 20th 2014, she was suddenly taken to hospital, but as a last and desperate measure. At that point, she was put on a ventilator in the ICU, where no one beside hospital staff was allowed to enter. Many supporters came to the hospital to protest outside, but were taken into custody.

As of today, Chen Guangcheng reports that her family and her lawyer was notified just this morning of her serious condition, but by the time they got to the hospital they found she had already died. They reported her body was covered with bruises, leading them to believe that she had been the victim of torture before her death. They were prevented from changing her clothes, as is Chinese custom, by guards in and outside her room. The family suspects that the authorities were worried that they would see yet more evidence of torture on her body. Later, her body was taken away, and no one is sure of the whereabouts.

This tragedy at the hands of the Chinese authorities is emblematic of the cruel and arbitrary measures that are used against innocent, law-abiding citizens in China. In fighting to bring clarity and transparency to the Chinese human rights situation through the UN, Cao Shunli was working on behalf of all people. The community of nations on whose behalf she was working should take pause to remember her, and should stand together to bring her case to justice. Those who murder with impunity should be held accountable."