IRCT   [to 16 February 2014]

News
IRCT President awarded Council of Europe prize
12 February 2014
IRCT President Suzanne Jabbour is the winner of the prestigious North-South Prize from the Council of Europe, in recognition of her “lifelong commitment to the promotion of human rights and the fight against torture.”

The prize, which has been awarded annually since 1995, goes to two persons each year to honour their exceptional work in the protection of human rights. The jury also decided to award His Highness Aga Khan and the Aga Kahn Development Network.
Ms Jabbour, who became IRCT President in November 2012, has been a leading figure in the prevention of torture and rehabilitation of survivors since 1996, when she co-founded the Restart center for rehabilitation of victims of torture and violence, an IRCT member in Lebanon. In 2009, she joined the IRCT Executive Committee and soon after was elected to the United Nations Sub-Committee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) as a member and later as Vice-President.

Previous winners of the North-South prize include Kofi Annan and Bob Geldof.

Reacting to the award, Mr Victor Madrigal-Borloz, IRCT Secretary-General said: “The IRCT is pleased that Ms Jabbour is receiving this honour from the Council of Europe and pleased that her work, and the work of the human rights defenders she works with every day, have been recognised in such high regard.

“Difficult times across the globe, particularly in the Middle East in the wake of the Syrian crisis, have put an enormous pressure on torture rehabilitation organisations in the region to deliver services to the victims but also on international governments to fund the rehabilitation of increasing refugees, many of whom are suffering and will suffer from long-term mental and physical effects of torture,” said Mr Madrigal-Borloz.

“An award such as this shows that torture is high on the agenda and that what Restart center and the IRCT movement are doing to stop torture is having an impact.”

The award shall be presented by the President of Portugal at a ceremony in Lisbon in the Spring of 2014.