Pro-Kremlin Separatist Nominated for Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

Ruben Vardanyan, a pro-Kremlin separatist from the South Caucasus, has been nominated for the Václav Havel Prize for Human Rights. Vardanyan, who has been characterized as part of Putin's network of influence, is being promoted for the award through the Aurora network he founded. The nomination of a figure with ties to Russian interests for a prize honoring human rights and democratic values named after the former Czech president and dissident has raised questions about the selection process. The Václav Havel Prize, established by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, annually recognizes outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights.