Congratulations on the Rafto Prize Award, Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms!
Ahmed Abdallah, one of the founders of ECRF, helt the acceptance speech at the Rafto Prize Award Ceremony:
- In the times of fear, there is no wisdom except to resist. Resist for freedom. Resist for dignity. And resist for the people you love. And for love, the courageous human rights defenders of Egypt has sacrificed a lot.
Bergen, 8 November 2020: The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms is awarded for their persistence in bravely resisting Egypt´s state of fear. ECRF documents, reports and raises awareness about the grave human rights violations in Egypt and beyond, and provides legal support to victims of human rights abuses.
Line Alice Ytrehus, Head of the Rafto Prize Commitee emphaized the courageous work of ECRF, even tho it has cost them greatly:
- The work of ECRF comes at great personal risk. Several ECRF affiliates have been arrested and subjected to enforced disappearances. Two employees are detained without trail since early summer 2019. We´ll remember researcher Ibrahim Ezz El-Din and labour rights lawyer Haytham Mohamadein, and we demand their release.
If everyone is silenced this would be the ultimate gain to the current regime and the ultimate victory to Egypt’s state of fear.
Other performances tonight were: Jonas Alaksa, Amalie Holt Kleive, Nora Gundersen, Oda Voltersvik, Døssi, Frode Grytten and Sharqant.