Moscow-exiled
US whistleblower Edward Snowden and British Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger are
to receive the Right Livelihood Award. They're among five persons awarded
Sweden's "alternative Nobel prize."
The
Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Award Foundation on Wednesday praised Snowden,
a former US intelligence agent, for "revealing the unprecedented extent of
state surveillance."
 |
| Rusbridger was forced to destroy data |
It said
Rusbridger, the editor in chief of Britain's The Guardian newspaper, also won
the award for "responsible journalism in the public interest.
"None
of them could have done what they did without the other, " said foundation
director Ole von Uexkull.
The
announcement, originally set for Thursday, was brought forward, after a leak by
Swedish broadcaster SVT.
Foundation
denied access
Von
Uexkull, the nephew of Jacob von Uexkull who founded the prize in 1980, said
all winners had been invited to a December 1 award ceremony in Stockholm.
Discussions
on "potential" travel arrangements for Snowden, who remains exiled in Russia, would be held with the Swedish government, von Uexkull said.
He added
that the foundation had been denied access to the Swedish foreign ministry's
media room, where award ceremonies have been held since 1995.
Three other
winners
Snowden,
who is wanted by the US for exposing mass data collection by the US National
Security Agency (NSA) and Rusbridger are honorary winners, meaning they will
not receive the award's customary 500,000 kronor (54,500 euros).
The other
three prize winners, named to receive the monetary award, are Pakistani human
rights lawyer Asma Jahanger, Sri Lankan rights activist Basil Fernando and US
environmentalist Bill McKibbben.
Jahanger is
a human rights lawyer who has defended women, children, religious minorities
and the poor in Pakistan, the award citation said.
Fernando,
originally from Sri Lanka, led the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights
Commission for nearly two decades and now serves as its director of policy and
programs.
McKibben is
founder of 350.org, a grass-roots environmental movement aimed at spurring
action to fight climate change.
lpj/kms (dpa, AFP, AP)
Von
Uexkull, the nephew of Jacob von Uexkull who founded the prize in 1980, said
all winners had been invited to a December 1 award ceremony in Stockholm.
Discussions
on "potential" travel arrangements for Snowden, who remains exiled in
Russia, would be held with the Swedish government, von Uexkull said.
He added
that the foundation had been denied access to the Swedish foreign ministry's
media room, where award ceremonies have been held since 1995.
Three other
winners
Snowden,
who is wanted by the US for exposing mass data collection by the US National
Security Agency (NSA) and Rusbridger are honorary winners, meaning they will
not receive the award's customary 500,000 kronor (54,500 euros).
The other
three prize winners, named to receive the monetary award, are Pakistani human
rights lawyer Asma Jahanger, Sri Lankan rights activist Basil Fernando and US
environmentalist Bill McKibbben.
Jahanger is
a human rights lawyer who has defended women, children, religious minorities
and the poor in Pakistan, the award citation said.
Fernando,
originally from Sri Lanka, led the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights
Commission for nearly two decades and now serves as its director of policy and
programs.
McKibben is
founder of 350.org, a grass-roots environmental movement aimed at spurring
action to fight climate change.
lpj/kms (dpa, AFP, AP)
No comments:
Post a Comment