Serbian rights lawyer wins UN refugee agency award in Europe
ABC News
Serbian human rights lawyer Nikola Kovacevic is this year's winner of a prestigious U.N. Refugee Agency award in Europe
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Nearly a decade ago, an encounter with an Iranian family inspired Serbian lawyer Nikola Kovacevic to dedicate his career to the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers.
Now Kovacevic says his quest has become more important than ever amid soaring anti-immigrant sentiment and populism in Europe.
On Thursday, the 32-year-old human rights lawyer from Belgrade will formally receive a prestigious award for Europe from the U.N. refugee agency for assisting scores of people who fled their homes, including those being sent back and forth over the borders in the region.
The first winner of UNHCR's regional Nansen Refugee Award from Serbia and the Balkans, Kovacevic told The Associated Press that refugee rights relate to the very core of European values.