2019 LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE RECIPIENT
William Browder
Bill Browder was awarded the 11th annual Lantos Human Rights Prize in Washington, DC on September 27, 2019. He is recognized as the driving force behind the global movement for Magnitsky Sanctions, the most consequential enforcement mechanism of the modern human rights movement.
Browder did not intend to become a prominent human rights activist, but he felt compelled to do so after the tragic death of Sergei Magnitsky, an idealistic young Russian lawyer who uncovered massive tax fraud perpetrated by Russian officials. In a truly Kafkaesque twist, Magnitsky was charged with the very offenses he had uncovered. In an effort to cover up the crimes he had exposed, Magnitsky was sent to prison in 2008 where he later died from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. Browder, for whom Magnitsky had worked, vowed to dedicate himself to seeking justice for Sergei and this crusade has made him a global human rights leader. He played a pivotal role in the passage of the Magnitsky Act, first passed by the U.S. Congress in 2012 (later the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act). The law authorizes targeted sanctions of government officials implicated in serious human rights abuses and corruption. Sanctions can include the freezing of U.S.-based assets as well as travel restrictions.
The Magnitsky Act has been called the most significant addition to U.S. law concerning human rights since the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. It has been replicated in countries and regions around the world, including Canada, Estonia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, the European Union and others.
Held in the Kennedy Caucus Room on September 27, 2019, the Prize ceremony was attended by a number of notable human rights defenders. The program included remarks by Congressman Jim McGovern, Senator Ben Cardin and Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator McCain, before Browder gave his acceptance speech.
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