Crimean Tatar lawyer Emil Kurbedinov received Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk

The lawyer Emil Kurbedinov received an international award 2017 Front Line Defenders for Human Rights Defenders at Risk on Friday, 26 May.

The annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders in Risk honours the work of human rights defenders who are at great personal risk courageously make an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights of their communities. It is written on the website of organization.

Emil Kurbedinov is a lawyer who leads the majority of politically motivated «criminal cases» since the annexation and subsequent occupation of Crimea, and also protects the Crimean Tatars «convicted» for participation in the Hizb ut-Tahrir movement.

Despite the pressure from the occupation authorities, Emil continues protecting those people, who were unlawfully persecuted in Crimea, and does not cease to cover the situation with human rights on a peninsula at all the international venues.

In February, Kurbedinov was arrested for his human rights activities for 10 days on a fabricated charge. He was accused for a four-year-ago post in the social network. However, immediately after own release, the lawyer stated that he would not leave his work to protect political prisoners in Crimea.

«My colleagues and I have chosen this path, and it is our duty. We worked and will continue working to protect the rights of Crimean Tatar Muslims, activists, journalists and so on», the lawyer said.

«15 minutes» editorial staff and ATR TV channel staff thank Emil Kurbedinov for his work and congratulate him for receiving the prestigious international prize.