Düzen Tekkal: The People of Iran need our Support!

13 September 2023. “I am very grateful that the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium dedicates the M100 Media Award 2023 to the freedom movement in Iran for “Woman – Life – Freedom” and it is also of special significance that a fearless woman like Shima Babaei is accepting this award on its behalf!,” says Düzen Tekkal, journalist, human rights activist and founder of HÁWAR.help. “With HÁWAR.help we have been supporting women like Shima Babaei from day 1 of the new wave of revolutionary protests that started with the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini one year ago. Like the women who are now fighting for their self-determination, Babaei challenged the regime and its systemic misogyny back in 2017 – and had to flee the country due to the life-threatening situation for her. Her father is still missing today. The people of Iran deserve to live in freedom, human dignity, and political self-determination – and they need all of our support to make this dream come true!”Together with German-Iranian actress and musician Jasmin Tabatabai and Iranian women’s rights activist and sports influencer Mersedeh Shahinkar, Düzen Tekkal will make a political statement at tomorrow’s award ceremony at the Orangery Palace in Potsdam-Sanssouci. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver the laudatory speech.

The M100 Media Award ceremony will be streamed live on 14 September from 18:00 (CET).