Nasta Loika Is a Human Rights Defender of the Year. Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus is an Initiative of the Year

Winners of the 2022 Belarusian Human Rights Defenders Award have been named. The ceremony took place at the Belarusian Human Rights House in Vilnius.

The winner of the Human Rights Defender of the Year 2022 nomination is human rights defender Nasta Loika. The winner of the Human Rights Defender of the Year 2022 nomination was announced by Lyubov Lanina of the Viasna Volunteer Service. Traditionally, this is done by the winner of the corresponding nomination of the previous year. However, Marfa Rabkova, the coordinator of the "Viasna" Volunteer Service, who became Human Rights Defender of the Year 2021, is still behind bars.

As noted, Nasta has contributed greatly to human rights defense. She defended the rights of foreign nationals and stateless persons and analyzed "extremist" legislation. She has contributed significantly to non-formal education. Her friend Xenia received an honorary diploma for Nasta:

"It hurts me to receive an award for her because Nasta is now in pre-trial detention. But I think that today Nasta would say that this award is, among other things, recognition for all human rights defenders".

The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus became the Initiative of the Year 2022. Human rights activist Victoria Fedorova received an honorary diploma.

"Unfortunately, I am the only public person on the Committee, but I would like to thank my colleagues for their work. It is important to note that when the Committee was created in 2020, no one could have imagined that in 2023 we would work even harder. Because the torture continues to take place”.