Hungarian Helsinki Committee co-chairs awarded Pro Asyl Human Rights prize

The human rights award of the prominent German Pro Asyl Foundation this year goes to Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s (HHC) co-chairs, Márta Pardavi and András Kristóf Kádár. The prize of the most prestigious German organization for refugees and human rights will be presented Saturday, 8 September in Frankfurt am Main.

Pro Asyl emphasized in its decision to grant the award to the HHC that the Hungarian human rights organisation, despite the increasingly deteriorating situation surrounding civil organizations in Hungary, consistently continues to defend the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. The Hungarian civil organization provides free-of-charge legal assistance to asylum seekers during their asylum procedure, and offers help in reuniting those who have already received protection with their families.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, founded in 1989 and led by co-chairs Márta Pardavi and András Kristóf Kádár since 2007, protects human dignity and the rule of law through legal and public advocacy methods. It provides legal assistance to refugees, detainees and victims of law enforcement violence as well as to citizens who suffer rights violations because they stand up for themselves and their communities.

Pro Asyl Foundation was founded in 2002 and today is considered the most prestigious German civil organization for supporting refugee and human rights. The Foundation’s human rights prize has been awarded since 2006 honouring those who have been prominent in defending human rights and protecting refugees. The first prize in 2006 was awarded to the then head of the HHC, Ferenc Kőszeg. Other honourees included personalities from religious organizations, journalists, civil activists and lawyers. Last year’s prize went to pastor Doris Otminghaus and Jewish community leader Wolfgang Seibert for welcoming and protecting expelled asylum seekers.