Svetlana Alexeevna
Gannushkina
(1942-)

Russian Human Rights Activist
1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005

birthdate: ?
birthplace: Russia

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Svetlana Alexeevna Gannushkina received the Homo Homini Award in 2006 for her continuing dedication to the promotion of human rights, democracy and nonviolent solutions to political conflicts. Her peace activism began during the Karabakh conflict in 1988 when she helped to free hundreds of Armenian and Azerbaijani prisoners of war. As the current Chair of the Civic Assistance Committee for Refugees, and head of the Migration and Law project for the non-governmental organization, Memorial, she has been an outspoken advocate for the human rights of the civilian population in Chechnya, and is a leader in the current fight for the right of non-governmental organizations in Russia to work for civil rights and to speak out freely against injustices in the current Russian system. Although her own life has been threatened many times, Svetlana Gannushkina continues to advocate for the rights of others in the Russian Federation. She was nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize project.