Human of the Year Award of Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
The independent NGO Bulgarian Helsinki Committee /BHC/ gave the Human of the Year awards for a forth year in a row. The event took place at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on the eve of the International Human Rights Day – December 10. Surprisingly this year the statue of the crystal star-flower, symbol of light, truth and justice, went to over 1,000 people simultaneously – the Bulgarian Judges Association /BJA/. The award was given due to the contribution of judges to validation and protection of human rights in Bulgaria. To remind, the association demanded the resignation of the Supreme Judicial Council /SJC/ “in order for this unprecedented crisis in public trust towards the judiciary system to be overcome”.
“The Bulgarian Judges Association fought a really heavy battle. These dignified judges struggled with the state in order to have a chance for true jurisdiction, carried out by true magistrates,” Deputy Chair of BHC Mrs. Margarita Ilieva, who is also a lawyer and headed the jury for the contest, said. “They struggle for their independence and for our access to lawfulness. They fight against all corrupted lobbies in the judiciary system, in order for quality of justice to be provided for us, Bulgarian citizens. They have also struggled for years against the mistreatment of all true and honest magistrates via terrifying overload and unfair labor and growth conditions. This year BJA has done the revolutionary, but expected step, after years of unsuccessful insisting on clear rules and honesty in courtrooms – it demanded the resignation of the Supreme Judicial Council. However, SJC didn’t resign. The fight goes on, thanks to BJA, their durability and honesty. We hope that they won’t lose the light along their way.”
Chair of BJA Miroslava Todorova, a lawyer, received the award on behalf of the whole guild. “We all realize that rules and an arbitrator are needed by the society for a normal life. This arbitrator has to be independent, with a human face and he or she has to remember the reason for the salary paid – a job well done, in favor of justice. It is true that we have been stressed and humiliated, but it is also true that we continue our work and fight and that is what is most important.”
The jury also selected two runner-ups, two special awards and an award of the audience. Thus former ombudsman of the capital Sofia Antoaneta Tsoneva took the second award. She is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Public Environment Development. Mrs. Tsoneva was awarded for her extraordinary achievements in protection of citizens’ voting rights, for an honest and free process of voting. Journalist Petia Vladimirova from the Dnevnik newspaper was also awarded for her investigations and revealing of the violations of human rights and freedoms in this country. Mr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the representatives of the Access to Information Program received the special awards. Mr. Dimitrov is among the strongest promoters of the rights of gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual people. However, this year’s extraordinary initiative of Dimitar was named A Flower for A Free Bulgaria. It supported Bulgarian Muslims after the assault of those, who prayed at the Mosque in Sofia in the spring. The Access to Information program was awarded for its overall contribution to the protection and affirmation of human rights in Bulgaria. The new aspect of the contest this year was the expanded criteria with values, comparable to human rights. Thus veterinarian Dr. Mila Bobadova was given the prize of the audience because of her extremely successful campaign for incriminating cruelty to animals.
Source: BNR