Ebadi awarded the prestigious "Legion of Honor" by French President Chirac

(28 November 2006) On November 6th Dr. Shirin Ebadi was awarded the “Legion of Honor,” the highest and most distinguished honor given by the French government. French President Jacques Chirac presented Ebadi with the insignia of Commander of the Legion of Honor, saying "France would like to pay tribute to your work, which you devote entirely to the defense of law, justice, dignity and liberty. Through your courage and your pride, you defend a specifically Iranian vision that affirms the compatibility between Islamic values and those of democracy and human rights."

In her acceptance speech, Ebadi avowed, “Awarding this medal is tantamount to thanking all those who have fought for the last fifty years in order to promote human rights and democracy in Iran.” She went on to urge Mr. Chirac, as President of a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to ensure that Security Council discussions on Iran first and foremost consider and examine violations of human rights in Iran, rather than solely focusing on the nuclear issue.

The French government rarely confers the Legion of Honor with the rank of Commander; Ebadi is the first Iranian to receive this illustrious rank.

The remarks of President Chirac and Dr. Ebadi can be downloaded in Persian below.

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