Thursday, 9 December 2010
Judges Get Freedom Defender’s Award
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan attended the International Human Rights Day-dated Freedom Defender’s Gala Award for 2010 as hosted by the US Embassy in Armenia.
For the third consecutive year already, the prize has been awarded annually on the part of the US Government to highlight the positive developments of the year.
Addressing those present and the prize-winners, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated in part, “It is extremely important to have meritorious and decent people in the judiciary boasting of serious achievements, and very often following their example we can come over the failures available in this sphere.”
3 Armenian judges were among this year’s nominees: Rusanna Barseghyan, Hovsep Bedevyan and Marina Melkonyan.
According to the organizers, nominees are selected on the following key principles: observance of human rights, the use of highest standards in law-enforcement and other state bodies and, finally, the display of judicial independence.
The freedom defender’s prize is awarded to individuals and organizations for strong commitment to human rights, democracy and social justice.
