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Amnesty International tribute to Professor Kader Asmal |
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23 June 2011
AI Index: AFR 53/001/2011
Amnesty International was saddened to learn of the death of Professor Kader Asmal on 22 June 2011. Professor Asmal remained profoundly committed to promoting and protecting human rights throughout his political, academic, legal and activist career and life. From his years of anti-apartheid work in exile to his decision in 2008 to resign as an African National Congress Member of Parliament and beyond, he was spurred on by conscience and a passion for upholding the rights to dignity and equality of his fellow South Africans and wider humanity.
In his last years he was fighting as vigorously as ever to protect the values and entrenched rights in South Africa’s Constitution, in whose creation he played such an important role. His long commitment to fight against authoritarianism and repression was most recently shown in his participation in the campaign against the Protection of Information Bill and its indiscriminate effects on the rights to freedom of expression and conscience.
“He worked throughout his life to promote respect for the universality and indivisibility of human rights”, said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Salil Shetty. “And he was truly a voice of conscience for activists. While he gave many years of his life as a committed ANC member to support the liberation and transformation of South Africa, he was not afraid to speak out boldly where he felt institutions of state were failing South Africa.”
Amnesty International appreciated his support over the years for its own global human rights campaigning and on behalf of our more than 3-million members worldwide we express our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues and friends.
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