The ninth Kreisky Prizes for Human Rights were awarded at the Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue on 22nd January 1997. Four internationals, the Iranian opposition politician Abbas Amir Entezam, the civil rights activist Emily Lau from Hong Kong, the Israeli peace and civil rights activist Uri Avnery and the Croatian journalist and civil rights advocate Ivan Zvonimir Cicak were awarded. Abbas Amir Entezam was unable to take part in the award ceremony because of his imprisonment by the Islamist regime in Iran. Arrested in 1979, Entezam, with one interruption, remained in prison until 2005.

Laudator Franz Vranitzky, moderator Barbara Rett and Prize winners and guests of honour at the awarding ceremony 1997 in the Bruno Kreisky Forum hosted by Margit Schmidt (third from left).

Abbas Amir Entezam, Iranian political prisoner and prize winner 1997.	Uri Avnery	Otto Tausig, prize winner 1997 as guest of honour at the prize ceremony 2005 with Oliver Rathkolb.

The award to Uri Avnery honoured one of the most consistent advocate of peace and a just settlement with the Palestinians in Israel.
Uri Avnery is founder of the Gush Shalom movement. Journalist and long-serving member of the Knesset, since 1948 he has supported the idea of Israeli-Palestinian peace and the co-existence of two states: the state of Israel and a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a common capital. Uri Avnery created a world sensation when, during the 1982 war in Lebanon, he crossed the front lines and became the first Israeli to meet Yasser Arafat. Already in 1974 he made the first secret contacts with the Palestinian leadership.

The Austrian actor and humanist Otto Tausig, was awarded for his humanitarian child-aid projects in the Third World. Willi Resetarits, Austrian artist, was honoured for his fight against xenophobia. Another prizewinner was the Austrian Network Against Poverty. Franz Vranitzky gave the laudatory address for the prize winners.

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