Concern grows over vote disruption after slaying of Kenyan election official
British American Tobacco investigated by Serious Fraud Office on suspicion of corruption
Lava Jato Investigation in Brazil Targets Ex-CEO of Petrobras and BB
2017 finalists announced for C$100,000 Allard Prize for International Integrity
This press release is also available in Arabic (العربية), Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili), and Brazilian Portuguese (Português). PRESS RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2017 MEDIA CONTACT: Audrey Baker, (510) 550-8173/ [email protected], Abby Blinch, (604) 822-4172/ [email protected] 2017 finalists announced for C$100,000 Allard Prize for International Integrity Honorees include Brazilian prosecution task force, Azerbaijani journalist, Egyptian human rights lawyer July 24, 2017 – Worldwide – The Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada has announced the three finalists for the 2017 Allard Prize for International Integrity. Created and funded by alumnus Mr. Peter A. Allard, Q.C., the C$100,000 biennial prize is one of the largest awards in the world recognizing efforts to combat corruption and promote human rights. “Each of the 2017 Allard Prize finalists has demonstrated remarkable courage and leadership, taking significant risks not only for themselves but also for their families and friends, and making considerable personal sacrifices, to uphold transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law,” said Peter Allard. “We are honored to recognize their exceptional work in fighting corruption and protecting human rights, in the hope that doing so will inspire others to also fight abuses of power and the subversion of human rights.” The winner of the Allard Prize will be announced at a special ceremony at the University of British Columbia’s Old Auditorium on September 28, 2017 at 6:30 pm. Click here to get tickets. The 2017 Allard Prize finalists are: Car Wash Task Force (Força Tarefa da Lava Jato) – This Brazilian anti-corruption prosecution task force has worked to prosecute some of the most powerful Brazilian economic and political elites. “Operation Car Wash” began as a local money laundering investigation and grew into the largest probe to date uncovering cases of state capture and grand corruption in Brazil. Its investigations have resulted in over 280 persons charged, 157 convictions, 1,563 years of cumulative jail time and restitution agreements of over US$3 billion. The Task Force’s work has led to the most significant anti-corruption bill in Brazil’s history, supported by over 2 million Brazilian citizens, and underscores the message that everyone is equal under the law and even the most powerful leaders will be held accountable. Photo Credit: Marco Zaoboni Khadija Ismayilova — As an investigative journalist in Azerbaijan, Khadija Ismayilova writes about high-level corruption and misuse of power in Azerbaijan for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Radio Free Europe’s Azerbaijani service. In 2010, Ismayilova exposed hidden offshore assets held by Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, and his family including tens of millions of dollars in real estate holdings registered to his son, 2.5 billion dollars worth of gold and silver at Azerbaijan’s Chovdar mine, and various business interests in communications, banking, construction, and transportation. In 2013, Ismayilova received private video footage of herself in her home from an anonymous source, with a note warning her to behave. She was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison on charges that many saw as retaliation for her reports. In 2016, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan released Ismayilova on probation but forbade her to travel abroad for five years without official permission. Photo credit: Aziz Karimov Azza Soliman – A renowned women’s rights lawyer, Azza Soliman is the co-founder of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA). She has dedicated her life to fighting corruption and injustice faced by Egyptian women in both the private sphere and the judicial system. She started her activism in 1995 when she was arrested after exposing the torture imposed on female members of the Islamic Group. Soliman has worked to support women’s access to justice by using progressive interpretations of religion to influence legislation and combat the monopoly and corruption of religious institutions. In 2015, Soliman was unjustly charged with unauthorized protest and public order violations after testifying against a policeman who she witnessed killing a female human rights defender during a protest. In response, she founded the “Protecting Witnesses and Whistleblowers Coalition” to help enhance the Rule of Law. Currently, the Egyptian government has curtailed Soliman’s freedom by freezing her law firm’s and her own private assets and banning her from traveling outside Egypt. “These finalists have been selected from a diverse and fascinating pool of nominations,” said Catherine Dauvergne, Dean of the Allard School of Law. “Peter Allard’s commitment to shedding light on the work of advocates worldwide who are fighting corruption and promoting human rights is a crucial step to helping real change happen in the world.” The keynote speaker will be American journalist and author Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story of U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden to the world and co-founded the award-winning news outlet, The Intercept. The Intercept covers national security, politics, criminal justice and more, and gives its journalists the editorial freedom and legal support they need to pursue investigations that expose corruption and injustice. Photo credit: Jimmy Chalk The Allard Prize for International Integrity was first awarded in 2013 to Anna Hazare for his work in leading successful movements across India to enhance government transparency and investigate and prosecute official corruption. The 2015 Prize went to John Githongo and Rafael Marques de Morais, two African journalists who exposed corruption in their respective countries of Kenya and Angola. ### About the Allard Prize for International Integrity Established in October 2012 and funded by alumnus Mr. Peter A. Allard, Q.C., the Allard Prize for International Integrity is awarded biennially to an individual, movement or organization that has shown exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption and promoting human rights, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law. After a comprehensive nomination and selection process, this year’s three finalists were selected from 244 nominations from 70 countries around the world. The Allard Prize is administered by the Peter A. Allard School of Law and steered by the Allard Prize Committee, composed of representatives of both the Allard School of Law and the private sector, in consultation with the Allard Prize Advisory Board, composed of members of the anti-corruption and human rights communities worldwide. Learn more: www.allardprize.org. The Allard Prize Committee The Allard Prize Foundation: Robert
MK rejects immunity for lawyers from KPK investigation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister may be brought down by Microsoft’s Calibri font amid corruption allegations
Oxfam complains of continued lack of transparency in oil payments
Ex-President of Brazil Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Prison for Corruption
Brazilian authorities disbanding team that investigates mass corruption scandal
Allard Prize for International Integrity Calls for End to Prosecution of Rafael Marques de Morais
Allard Prize for International Integrity Calls for End to Prosecution of Rafael Marques de Morais The Allard Prize for International Integrity strongly condemns the recent charges filed against Angolan journalist and human rights defender Rafael Marques de Morais and Angolan journalist Brás Lourenço. Mr. Marques de Morais was a co-recipient of the 2015 Allard Prize for International Integrity. The Allard Prize calls upon the Government of Angola to respect Mr. Marques de Morais and Mr. Brás Lourenço’s internationally-protected rights to freedom of expression and to promptly and unconditionally drop the charges against them. If the charges are not dropped, the Allard Prize requests that the Angolan government uphold its international obligations to ensure that both journalists are afforded their internationally-guaranteed rights to due process and a fair trial. Supported by numerous human rights lawyers and educators and individuals with a deep and longstanding commitment to Africa, the Allard Prize has asked the Canadian Ambassador to Angola, Mr. Kumar Gupta, to monitor the charges against Mr. Marques de Morais and Mr. Brás Lourenço. In response, the Embassy of Canada in Zimbabwe (accredited to Angola) has contacted Mr. Marques de Morais and regional civil society organizations and other country missions with resident embassies in Angola to obtain further information and assess next steps. Mr. Marques de Morais faces criminal prosecution, apparently brought in retaliation for his criticism and exposure of government corruption. His sentence could be over nine years in prison if convicted on the current criminal charges against him, which include crimes against state security and insulting a public authority. The Angolan Attorney General, João Maria de Sousa, acting as a private citizen, has also filed three additional charges against Mr. Marques de Morais in a civil suit, accusing him of abuse of press freedom, defamation and injury. Human rights advocates maintain that these charges are intended to prevent and/or chill individuals and organizations from criticizing the existing government in the lead-up to the Angolan election, scheduled to take place on August 23, 2017. Indeed, none of the charges appear to be based on alleged illegal activity, but instead, are based on the lawful practice of writing and disseminating news articles that address lawful topics of public interest and concern. ### About Rafael Marque de Morais Rafael Marques de Morais was a co-recipient of the 2015 Allard Prize, awarded for his body of work exposing corruption in Angola, and has earned other high-profile international awards for his investigative work. He is currently editor of an anti-corruption watchdog site, Maka Angola, which focuses on investigating and publishing citizen’s complaints about corruption and human rights violations in Angola. Given its reputation for reporting unbiased news, Maka Angola has the largest Facebook following of any news outlet in the country. About the Allard Prize for International Integrity Established in October 2012 and funded by alumnus Mr. Peter A. Allard, Q.C., the Allard Prize for International Integrity is awarded biennially to an individual, movement or organization that has shown exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption and promoting human rights, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law. After a comprehensive nomination and selection process, this year’s three finalists were selected from 244 nominations from 70 countries around the world. The Allard Prize is administered by the Peter A. Allard School of Law and steered by the Allard Prize Committee, composed of representatives of both the Allard School of Law and the private sector, in consultation with the Allard Prize Advisory Board, composed of members of the anti-corruption and human rights communities worldwide. Learn more at: www.allardprize.org.