Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been awarded the prestigious 2013 Lech Walesa Award for “courage in promoting the values of civil society”.  His son Pavel, received the award on behalf of his father on  September 29, in the Polish city of Gdansk.

At the ceremony, which coincided with Lech Walesa’s 70th birthday, Mr Walesa said:

“I hope that our recognition of Khodorkovsky’s suffering and fight will have positive results.”

This year, 2013, also marks the 30th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Lech Walesa.

Jan Krzystof Bielecki, former Polish Prime Minister and a member of the Lech Walesa Award Committee said:

“We believe that Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s behaviour during the trials makes him a symbol of a fight for supreme values, and this is the foundation for our decision to grant him the Award. A phenomenon of his evolution is that his character has become symbolic.”

Pavel Khodorkovsky read a message from his father, displaying his gratitude to Mr Walesa and the jury:

“A gesture like this coming from you [Lech Walesa] is important not only to me and to my family and friends, but also to the many hundreds of people — if not thousands already — who are imprisoned in Russian jails because of their civic position.”

Pavel added that the Award encourages Russian citizens to fight for a better future and shows them that they are not alone – that Poland and Europe are backing them – in solidarity.

Members of the jury present at the ceremony included Stanislav Shushkevich, former Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus; Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania; Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, former Prime Minister of Poland; Mikuláš Dzurinda, former Prime Minister of Slovenia; Bernard Kouchner, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France; Władysław Bartoszewski, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland; Rita Suessmuth, former President of German Bundestag; and Zbigniew Jagiełło, President of PKO Bank Polski.

After the ceremony Pavel Khodorkovsky remarked:

“During the ceremony Mr Lech Walesa delivered a speech, and the Award was given in the presence of prominent people – former presidents and prime ministers of Europe. The first speech was delivered by Jan Krzysztof Bielecki. Mr Bielecki spoke fondly of my father, remembering how they both attended an event in Washington. It was nice to hear that after so many years, people have good memories of my father. The prize itself is very beautiful. As you know, the second part of the award is a cheque for $100,000 drawn on the Bank Polski. My father, when he found out about the award, asked me to suggest several options to which the funds could be donated. I gave him some ideas and am now waiting for his answer. In any case, the funds will go to charity.”