The Stockholm Human Rights Award – the fifth ever – was presented by Anne Ramberg, secretary-general of the Swedish Bar Association, at a solemn ceremony in the Berwald Hall in Stockholm. The award was given to M. Cherif Bassiouni, non-resident professor of law at the Cairo University and professor emeritus at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago.
Anne Ramberg presented professor M. Cherif Bassiouni with the Stockholm Human Rights Award in the Berwald Hall.
“I am very proud and honoured to present the Stockholm Human Rights Award for 2013 to a most worthy laureate, M. Cherif Bassiouni. The prize is awarded to him for his long and persistent work to promote the rule of law, human rights in general and international criminal law in particular”, said Anne Ramberg.
For the last half century, M. Cherif Bassiouni has participated in the creation of all of the most important instruments within the area of international criminal law. As a representative of the United Nations, he has documented war crimes and prepared trials against the offenders. M. Cherif Bassiouni is largely to be credited for sexual violence against women being recognized as a war crime. He has also been active in various attempts to bring peace to the Middle East, and he was one of the architects behind the Camp David accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978.
Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni.
“Having instigated this prize and acknowledging the values which it represents does credit for the Swedish Bar Association, the IBA and the ILAC. The importance of this award is not so much to honor the recipient as to send a message to the others in the world who aspire to service in the same cause”, said M. Cherif Bassiouni.
Todd Benjamin, former news anchor of CNN, interviewed M. Cherif Bassiouni.
Divine – three opera singers – and Pop Quartet – a string quartet – entertained the laureate and the invited guests from the diplomatic corps, the judiciary, the legal profession and the academia.