OSIEA Grantee Shortlisted for Human Rights Defenders Award

OSIEA grantee Sam Mohochi, director of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), has been nominated for the 2009 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. Mohochi is among the four nominees shortlisted for the award, for his courage and commitment to protect defenders at risk. 

Under Muhochi's leadership, IMLU has been an outstanding leader in offering legal and medical support to Kenyan human rights defenders who are targeted by the state. At great risk to his life, Muhochi helped organize and provide witness testimonies to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial Executions in February 2009. The special rapportuer was looking at a pattern of egregious human rights violations by Kenyan security forces. Mohochi has been outspoken on the blatant abuses of human rights, and as a result, received threats and intimidation.  

During the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008, with OSIEA support, IMLU conducted forensic investigations into the post-election violence related deaths. IMLU's Forensic reports on the post election deaths and extrajudicial killings in Kenya have enabled families to access credible information on missing persons and those executed, and provided credible evidence to support prosecution of perpetrators.

The annual Front Line Award was established in 2004 to honor the work of an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the protection of human rights in the face of considerable personal risk. It is intended that the award and the profile gained by the nominees and the winners will contribute to their security and protection. It is also an opportunity to highlight the important and courageous work of human rights defenders around the world.

For more information, visit www.frontlinedefenders.org or www.imlu.org/.