BERLIN: Human rights group Amnesty International on Thursday honoured Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei and US folk singer Joan Baez as joint winners of its Ambassador of Conscience Award. The London-based group said its highest prize, to be presented at a Berlin ceremony, recognises “those who have shown exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through their life and work”.

Amnesty’s secretary general Salil Shetty called Ai and Baez “an inspiration to thousands more human rights activists, from across Asia to America and beyond”.

The group wanted to “pay tribute to Joan Baez who is with us ... and to Ai Weiwei who’s not, and who can’t be with us,” Bill Shipsey, founder and chair of the Art for Amnesty programme, told a Berlin press conference. Ai, 57, China’s best-known contemporary artist, is barred from travelling abroad after clashing repeatedly with Chinese authorities over his criticism of official corruption and political repression.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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