BENGALURU: The Martin Ennals Foundation, Geneva has conferred the Human Rights Defenders award 2022 to Late Father Stanislas Swamy posthumously. “Father Stan was nominated to the Award in spring 2021, but he sadly passed away before it could reach him,” stated Chair of the Award Jury, Hans Thoolen.
The 2022 Martin Ennals Award Ceremony will be held on June 2.
Martin Ennals was a British human rights activist who served as Secretary-General of Amnesty International from 1968 to 1980. He had co-founded the human rights organizations ARTICLE 19, International Alert and HURIDOCS.
Fr Stan Swamy (1937-2021), the 84-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist who was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case in October 2020, died on July 5 last year. His association with the Indian Social Institute (ISI), Bengaluru goes back to 1975.
“He was director, ISI for 15 years; from 1975 to 1986. Thereafter, he continued till 1991 as staff,” said Director, ISI, Fr Joseph Xavier. He said that the Martin Ennals Foundation has been in touch with him for the last few months to get more details and photographs of Stan Swamy. “Normally, the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders honours individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional commitment to defending and promoting human rights, despite the risks involved is given during their lifetime but in case of Stan, it is posthumous,” said Fr Xavier.