Yelena Bonner: The authorities are trying to destroy the Sakharov Prize

Yelena Bonner, widow of Andrei Sakharov and prominent human rights defender has stated that the Russian authorities are attempting to destroy the Andrei Sakharov Prize “For Journalism as an Act of Conscience”.  This followed a search carried out in the last few days of the office of the firm “Vinland” which belongs to the founder of the Prize Peter Vins. Law enforcement officers sealed the safe with money for paying wages as well as that of the firm’s head, and removed financial documents, stamps, and eight computers and servers. It should be said that the witnesses, who arrived together with those carrying out the check, helped remove the items.

Vinland representatives have sent complaints about the search to the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the head of the FSB and the commission under the auspices of the President for supporting small- and medium-scale business.

Peter Vins back in the Soviet Union was involved in human rights woman for which he served a sentence, before being forced to emigrate with his father Georgy, and the rest of the family*. He returned to Russia in the 1990s and in 2000 he founded the Andrei Sakharov Prize “For Journalism as an Act of Conscience” in memory of the help offered his family by Andrei Sakharov.

Please see http://archive.khpg.org.ua/en/index.php  for details about Peter Vins and his father