FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Annie Stone, 703-217-1169 [email protected]
Merissa Blum, 215-370-0387 [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER TO PRESENT 2021 LIBERTY MEDAL TO JIMMY LAI AND
LOUJAIN AL-HATHLOUL THROUGH A VIDEO TRIBUTE AIRING LIVE ON SEPTEMBER 21
Award recognizes freedom of speech, non-violent resistance, and peaceful dissent
International freedom fighters to be awarded the annual Liberty Medal at 6 p.m. ET on September 21
Philadelphia, PA (September 17, 2021) –The National Constitution Center will award its 33rd annual Liberty Medal to two freedom fighters, the Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai and the Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, for their courage and conviction in exercising the fundamental rights of freedom of speech, nonviolent resistance, and peaceful dissent. The National Constitution Center will honor the recipients through a video tribute broadcast live on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. ET. The livestream will be available at constitutioncenter.org/liberty-medal.
National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will present the Liberty Medal award virtually to the recipients. The video tribute will feature acceptance speeches by Lina al-Hathloul, on behalf of her sister Loujain al-Hathloul, who is currently on house-arrest in Saudi Arabia, and Ambassador James B. Cunningham, former consul general for Hong Kong and Macau, on behalf of Jimmy Lai, who is currently in prison in Hong Kong.
The video tribute will also feature remarks by: Jason Rezaian, Iranian-American journalist who served as The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran from 2012 to 2016—and was imprisoned in Tehran during his tenure for 544 days—and who currently serves as global opinions writer for The Post; Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and New York Times columnist; and Trudy Rubin, foreign affairs columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Out of the last 32 Liberty Medals, 15 have been awarded to individuals outside of the United States, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet (2015), Malala Yousafzai (2014), Mikhail Gorbachev (2008), Kofi Annan (2001), Vaclav Havel (1994) and Lech Walesa (1989)—the first recipient of the Liberty Medal.
The 2021 Liberty Medal is produced by NBCUniversal. The recipients will split the $100,000 prize, sponsored by Ira Lubert and Pamela Estadt, who have supported the award for more than a decade. The Liberty Medal is made possible thanks to support from Citizens, Stradley Ronon, LLP, and many corporations, foundations, and individuals with proceeds going to further the work of the National Constitution Center.
Jimmy Lai is one of the most prominent supporters of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. His media company, Next Digital, founded Apple Daily, a widely-read tabloid frequently critical of the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party. The paper closed in June 2021 following a raid by Hong Kong police. Lai’s arrest for sedition in August 2020 on charges of violating Hong Kong’s new national security law, and subsequent trial and sentencing, arose out of the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Loujain al-Hathloul, one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights activists, was held for nearly three years in a Saudi prison for leading the campaign to legalize driving for women in Saudi Arabia. She was detained in May 2018 along with several other female activists, just weeks before the Saudi government lifted the ban. A judge sentenced her to five years and eight months in prison under a broad counterterrorism law; she was released early, in February 2021, but remains under many restrictions. She has appealed her conviction.
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About the Liberty Medal
The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Given annually, the medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. A full list of all past recipients is available here: constitutioncenter.org/liberty-medal/recipients.
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling our congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
