Leipzig Human Rights Award

The Leipzig Human Rights Award is an honor given by the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA, which recognizes "efforts towards human rights and freedom of expression in the USA" and actions against what the organization refers to as "human rights violations by the totalitarian Scientology." Prior to 2001, the honor was known as the Alternative Charlemagne Award.

Former Scientology critic Bob Minton received the first award in 2000. Other notable recipients of the award include former German Federal Minister of Labor Norbert Blüm, former Secretary of State of France, Alain Vivien and Operation Clambake founder Andreas Heldal-Lund. Psychologist Margaret Singer was selected at the 2003 ceremony to be the 2004 Award recipient, but she died shortly thereafter and no award was given in that year.

History

Formation

Originally begun as the "Alternative Charlemagne Award," the honor was formed as a counterpoint to the Charlemagne Award given to U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2000. Presented in Aachen, Germany, the Charlemagne Award, or Karlspreis, "honors individuals who promote democracy, human rights and the common values of Europe." The original title of the Leipzig Human Rights Award was so-named as a way of criticizing the relationship between the Church of Scientology and the Clinton Administration, which granted Scientology tax exemption status during Clinton's term in office. The European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA was formed in 1997, and includes committee members from Germany, the United States, England, Austria, Russia and Sweden. The Committee opposes "physical and psychological abuse of humans under the pretext of religion." The organization notes that their criticism of the United States for "its failure to confront Scientology’s human rights abuses while promoting the cult around the world" has made the Award controversial, and states that all past recipients of the Award have been targeted by the Church of Scientology as suppressive persons, and subjected to the Church's fair game policy. Award recipients do not receive financial compensation as part of the award.

The organization's charter cites its concern over the deaths of Lisa McPherson and Patrice Vic, and states "We wish to express our support for the American people and the American government in ending human rights violations against US citizens and other people, committed by the Scientology Organization." Specifically, the Leipzig Human Rights Award charter calls on the United States to reestablish "true freedom of life, speech, religion, personality and pursuit of happiness," and emphasizes freedom of speech, freedom for members of an organization to leave that organization without fear of retribution, freedom from blackmail through materials obtained during spiritual counseling, and calls on the United States for full disclosure of "secret agreements" between the Internal Revenue Service and the Church of Scientology.