Nataša Kandić nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

WASHINGTON, (Patria) - Two US congressmen have nominated Nataša Kandić and the Humanitarian Law Fund for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, reports Voice of America.

The nomination was submitted by the Chairman of the Helsinki Commission of the US Congress, Senator from Mississippi Roger Wicker, and the ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman from New York Eliot Engel.

Nataša Kandić founded the Humanitarian Law Fund in Belgrade in 1992 to document severe human rights violations committed during the conflicts of the breakup of former Yugoslavia.

- More than 25 years later, the Humanitarian Law Fund continues to fight for justice for victims of war crimes and to counter extreme nationalism and ethnic tensions that continue to smolder in the Western Balkans - the Helsinki Commission's statement reads.

In explaining the nomination, Chairman Wicker and Congressman Engel stated, among other things, that the HLF's detailed documentation of these crimes has become crucial for the administration of justice, both at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which concluded its work at the end of 2017, and in national war crimes courts in the region's countries.

- The main perpetrators of crimes, including political and military leaders, have been held accountable at the international level for the first time since World War II. Survivors and traumatized communities in which they lived have been given a chance to rebuild their lives. The countries of the region have been encouraged to adhere to the rule of law and accept the legacy of a terrible past - the Helsinki Commission's statement emphasizes.

The congressmen stated that the Fund continued its work "in an environment hostile to human rights defenders," and that in Serbia, "too many people try to deny horrific crimes or justify them by demonizing the victims."

- An even larger number remained silent while ethnic cleansing proceeded unimpeded. In contrast, with Nataša Kandić at the helm, the HLF spoke out publicly against acts of aggression, reported on committed crimes, and rejected the hatred on which they were based. While this is impossible to measure, we are convinced that the Fund's efforts have deterred some additional human rights violations - Senators Wicker and Congressman Engel emphasize.

The congressmen stated that Nataša Kandić is today an inspiration to a new generation of "dedicated young professionals leading the HLF," and that "there is no person or organization more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize" and that the award going to them would contribute to peace and reconciliation in the region, as well as in other parts of the world.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the Nobel Prizes expired at midnight on January 31.

Candidates can be nominated by members of national assemblies and governments of sovereign states, members of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, university professors, recipients of previous Nobel Peace Prizes and members of the governing boards of organizations that have received the award, as well as current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.