Norwegian Conservatives (Høyre) Award Human Rights Prize to Yoani Sanchez on World Press Freedom Day

Yoani Sanchez awarded human rights prize by Høyre

On May 3, 2013 which also happens to be World Press Freedom Day, in Norway, the party of Norwegian Conservatives (Høyre) awarded Yoani Sanchez a prize for human rights and democracy named after one of the founding fathers of Høyre. The following video and text (translated from Norwegian) is taken from Hoyre's website. 


Yoani Sanchez received on Friday, May 3, 2013, the Sjur Lindebrækkes Prize for Democracy and Human Rights. Read more about her here. You can see her acceptance speech in the video above starting at 5:25

Sjur Lindebrække

 About Sjur Lindebrække

Sjur Lindebrække(born 1909 in Voss, d 1998 in Bergen) was one of the Conservatives' most important politicians in the postwar period, and viewed, among other things, as historian Francis Sejerstad observed "the modern Conservative Party's father." He was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1953, the Conservative Party Vice Chairman from 1950 to 1954 and Conservative Party chairman from 1962 to 1970.

Lindebrække was a champion of liberal ideas and believed it essential that policy must be based on trust in the individual. A well-functioning democratic society requires a high degree of trust between people and trust between people and institutions. If such trust is created, maintained and strengthened in a society, the political authorities and political leaders meet individuals with confidence. At the same time demanded by politicians across the political and ideological spectrum the ability to work together to protect the democratic rules and democratic institutions.

Sjur Lindebrække was also a politician who sought cooperation to find solutions to the challenges of the future. Lindebrækkes "trust policy" was built on a strong defense of the liberal ideas of dignity and rights, property rights and economic freedom. His commitment that peace, freedom and human rights should come to people worldwide, made ​​him a natural representative of the Conservative Parliamentary Nobel Committee.

About the award

Sjur Lindebrækkes prize for Democracy and Human Rights is awarded by the decision of an independent award committee. The award is given to individuals or organizations in Sjur Lindebrækkes spirit that actively and consistently promote fundamental political and economic freedoms and rights, and work to strengthen democratic institutions and processes in societies where democracy and human rights are suppressed or threatened. (The prize has been awarded every year since 2007 by Høyre.