Awarding the Medal for Honourable Conduct to Thomas Potokar

Thomas Potokar, a dual British and French citizen, is a physician, surgeon, and university professor. As a specialist in burns, he has dedicated his skills to the voluntary treatment of victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and elsewhere over the past 30 years, but according to him, the situation in Gaza today is the worst he has ever experienced. In the past year, he returned to Gaza twice for extended periods to provide care to numerous seriously wounded victims of the genocidal policy against the Palestinian population. By helping people whom the world has turned its back on, Thomas Potokar has often risked his own life.

In her address at the award presentation, President Pirc Musar emphasised that Thomas Potokar has Slovenian roots through his father, Ivan, and is therefore a source of special inspiration for Slovenian doctors: "However, at the heart of his sacrifice, integrity and selfless assistance lies the fact that his work transcends administrative borders between countries and peoples. His actions are therefore universally human. Mr Potokar is an exceptional role model for people across the world and here in Slovenia, his father's homeland."

She added that, in today's era of violence, brutality, and greed, people like him are few and far between – which makes it all the more important to honour them. According to President Pirc Musar, Mr Potokar is a humanitarian in the truest sense of the word. Through this award, Slovenia wishes to pay tribute to his selfless work and his unwavering dedication to the noble mission of the medical profession, even in the harshest wartime conditions.