The first Council of Europe Raoul Wallenberg Prize was awarded to Elmas Arus, a young Roma film director from Turkey , during a ceremony on 17 January in Strasbourg. The prize recognises Ms Arus' outstanding contributions to raising awareness about the conditions of the Roma people in Turkey and elsewhere.

Between 2001 and 2010, Ms Arus and a group of volunteers visited more than 400 Roma neighbourhoods in 38 cities in Turkey. They produced 360 hours of documentation, and she created an hour-long documentary on the challenges of the different Roma groups in Turkey. Subsequently, Ms Arus established the "Zero Discrimination" Organisation, which has paved the way for other similar groups: there are now over 200 Roma associations in Turkey. Her work has played a crucial role in the elaboration of the Turkish government's "Roma opening" policy of 2009.

The ceremony took place at 12h00, Foyer du Comité des Ministres, Palais de l'Europe.

Interviews: Prize winner E. Arus, Permanent Representatives of Sweden and Hungary