CHECHEN human rights activist Natalya Estemirova has been nominated for the prestigious Sakharov Peace prize by Green Euro-MPs in Strasbourg.
Just days after the horrific Beslan school siege put the Chechen conflict at the top of the news agenda for all the wrong reasons, Green MEPs said awarding the prize to Natalya Estemirova would be an important symbolic gesture - and would remind the world that Russia has routinely committed grave human rights violations with near-impunity in the disputed territory.
"Never has it been more important to find a peaceful, political solution to the Chechen conflict," said London MEP Jean Lambert, a member of the Parliament's Human Rights and Civil Liberties Committees.
"The terrible events of Beslan don't change that - they just make it harder than ever to speak about the truth of what's going on there."
Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South-East England and CND Council member, added: "Post-Beslan, Chechnya is in danger of becoming an international taboo, and 'Chechen' a by-word for 'terrorist'.
"This simply must not be allowed to happen, as it would stand in the way of a peaceful and just solution to the conflict and an end to the ongoing grave human rights violations in the territory."
Human rights activist Natalya Estemirova is a forty-year-old teacher and journalist has worked actively in the 'Memorial' human rights centre in Grozny, founded by the late Andrej Sakharov. ENDS
For more information please contact Ben on 01273 671946, 07973 823358 or at press@greenmeps.org.uk