Honour for jailed human rights lawyer

A Syrian human rights lawyer imprisoned for defending political prisoners will be honoured in Dublin today.

Anwar al-Bunni, who is currently serving a five and a half-year prison sentence, will receive the Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.

Mr al-Bunni’s wife Raghda Isaa Refki has flown to Ireland to collect the award from President Mary McAleese.

The ceremony will be held this morning at Dublin City Hall.

Mr al-Bunni, the head of the Free Political Prisoners Committee, is a leading human rights lawyer in Syria.

He estimates the various members of his family have spent more than 60 years in Syrian prisons and has spoke out about the use of torture.

Since the 1990s, the lawyer has defended human rights defenders and political prisoners including members of, the Democratic Ba’ath Party, the Communist Party and, in 2001, the Damascus Spring leaders.

The Front Line Award for Human rights Defenders at Risk was established to highlight the work of outstanding individuals who on a daily basis put their security and lives at risk defending the lives of others.