Jailed West Saharan activist wins Swedish prize

Stockholm (Earth Times - dpa) - The sister of jailed Western Saharan activist Brahim Dahane on Monday accepted a Swedish human rights prize on his behalf at a ceremony in Stockholm. Brahim Dahane, was awarded the Per Anger Prize, a human rights prize for his "peaceful efforts and personal courage" in campaigning for human rights, the jury said.

He was nominated by the Swedish section of the International Commission of Jurists.

Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975 after the colonial power Spain withdrew from the territory. The United Nations in 1991 brokered a ceasefire between Morocoo and the Saharan independence movement Polisario.

Dahane was jailed in October, and his sister Aicha Dahane accepted the award at a two-day human rights conference.

The prize, worth 150,000 kronor (22,000 dollars), was created in 2004 in honor of Swedish diplomat Per Anger and honors "people and organizations that risk their own safety to defend the rights of the individual against oppression and inhumanity."

Anger was a close associate of Raoul Wallenberg, who was credited with saving thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II.

Last year the prize was awarded to Sebastian Bakare, Anglican bishop of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.