2015 International Hrant Dink Award Goes to LGBT and Women’s Rights Activists

ISTANBUL (Hrant Dink Foundation)””The seventh International Hrant Dink Award was presented on Tuesday, September 15, with an award ceremony held at the Istanbul Congress Center. This year’s awards were granted to women’s rights activist Samar Badawi from Saudi Arabia and to Kaos GL, an initiative that works for LGBT rights in Turkey. Badawi stands out as a leading voice for advocating women’s rights and for raising international awareness about the oppression of human rights defenders in her country, while Kaos GL was recognized for its persistent and efficient struggle for LGBT rights in Turkey, where violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals continues to increase.

The award ceremony was opened with Ceylan Ertem’s performance of Bulent Ortacgil’s widely-acclaimed song, “Bu Su Hic Durmaz”