Lower house head proposes Winton for Nobel Peace Prize

Prague, Jan 24 (CTK) - Miroslava Nemcova, chairwoman of the lower house of Czech parliament, again proposed Sir Nicholas Winton for the Nobel Peace Prize, Pavlina Kroupova, from the house's press section, announced Thursday.

Winton saved hundreds of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia before World War Two.

Nemcova has proposed Winton for the Nobel Peace Prize for the third time.

Winton, 102, saved 669 Czechoslovak Jewish children who were transported to Britain before the war broke out. He had to secure departure permits for all children from the Nazi German administrators, entry permits from the British authorities and admission to British families.

Nemcova said she proposed the centenarian Winton again not only because she believes he should receive the prize but mainly because an increasing number of Czech students support the idea.

About 8500 Czech students signed a petition in support of Winton's awarding.

Nemcova promotes the presentation of Winton's story among teenagers at Czech primarily and secondary schools within the Nicky's Family project, named after a documentary film on Winton made by Slovak Matej Minac.

Winton was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. In 1998, he received a high Czech state decoration, the Order of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, from then Czech president Vaclav Havel.