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ICC wins EU Parliament’s human rights prize 2026

October 22, 2026

The 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is collectively awarded to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials.

Announcing the 2026 laureate in the hemicycle on Thursday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola declared: “The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions. With the award of the Sakharov prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials, the European Parliament recognises the Court’s important work in upholding international law and justice.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

The Court is a crucial actor in the global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, it aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent these crimes from happening again. As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement national courts. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.

The award highlights the ICC’s work, including investigations, prosecutions, trials and the issuance or authorisation of arrest warrants. See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/08/13/four-us-human-rights-groups-sue-trump-administration-over-crippling-icc-sanctions/

In Parliament’s 2025 annual reports on the implementation of the common Foreign and Security Policy and on the human rights and democracy in the world, MEPs expressed their deep concern at the growing threats and the various waves of sanctions imposed since 2025 on the ICC, notably by the USA, as well as on its prosecutors, judges, staff and partners, considering these to be serious attacks on the international justice system.

MEPs have repeatedly called on the European Commission to activate the EU’s so-called ‘blocking statute’ to protect officials working at the ICC from extraterritorial attacks, and to enable it to continue its activities in complete independence. The blocking statute protects European operators, regardless of their size or sector of activity, by nullifying within the EU the effect of any foreign judicial decision based on foreign laws, also enabling them to seek compensation in court for damages caused by the extraterritorial application of foreign laws.

For more on this award, see: https://trueheroesfilms.com/equip/digest/?sort=most&laureate=13a10c16-6014-4132-8ed7-c4af3b1ef2a8

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20261018IPR48263/the-international-criminal-court-and-its-officials-awarded-the-sakharov-prize

https://www.politico.eu/article/icc-wins-eu-parliaments-human-rights-prize

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NGO Forum at the 89th session of the African Commission: panel discussion on the growing issue of transnational repression of HRDs in Africa

October 21, 2026

At the NGO Forum ahead of the 89th session of the African Commission, in October 2026, a high-level panel discussion tackled the growing issue of transnational repression in Africa. The discussion, titled ‘From Restrictive Laws to Transnational Repression: Protecting Human Rights Defenders in Africa’, was the first ever panel on the topic of transnational repression in this space.

It featured Aua Baldé of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Ralmeg Gandaho, President of Changement-Social (Bénin), and Basma Mostafa, Director of Programs at the Law and Democracy Support Foundation and herself an exiled journalist and activist directly affected by transnational repression. (Basma Mostafa was unable to attend in person due to visa issues. Her statement was read on her behalf by ISHR’s Salomé Boucif)

This discussion built on our ongoing work on transnational repression: in June, ISHR convened a retreat for UN human rights experts that culminated in a landmark statement by over 130 UN Special Procedures mandate holders and Treaty Body members calling for a decisive international response to transnational repression.[https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/09/28/over-130-human-rights-experts-issue-global-call-for-states-to-end-transnational-repression/]

At the ACHPR’s 89th session, ISHR further called on the Commission to adopt a resolution on transnational repression and carry out a comprehensive, continent-wide study examining its nature, scale, patterns, methods, perpetrators, affected populations and impact on the enjoyment of human rights.

The panel opened from a clear premise: a conducive national legal framework is a precondition for the safe and effective work of human rights defenders, as affirmed by Aua Baldé. Yet across Africa, the opposite trend is now dominant.

In Angola, a 2025 law on the status of non-governmental organisations allows the State to monitor, suspend and financially restrict civil society organisations. In Zimbabwe, the Private Voluntary Organization Act adopted in 2025 confers sweeping discretionary powers on the executive to over-regulate and interfere in the governance and operations of NGOs. And in Uganda, the Protection of Sovereignty Act, signed into law in May 2026, created broad controls over who may receive foreign funding and who may be labelled a ‘foreign agent’.

Speaking from the experience of defenders in West Africa and particularly Benin, Ralmeg Gandaho illustrated how such frameworks translate into daily intimidation, criminalisation and surveillance of those who document violations and hold power to account.

A central thread of the discussion was that crossing an international border does not guarantee safety. For Basma Mostafa, transnational repression ‘should not be understood simply as a collection of isolated incidents’. Instead, she stressed, it is a ‘governance strategy’ used by States to ‘extend control beyond their territory’.

Drawing on the work of the Law and Democracy Support Foundation with exiled defenders, journalists and political activists, she identified several recurring patterns: proxy punishment and reprisals against family members, the weaponisation of legal and counter-terrorism frameworks, including politically motivated prosecutions and convictions in absentia, the misuse of administrative and consular measures such as travel bans and the refusal to renew documents, digital transnational repression and more.

Mostafa’s account of the case of Egyptian activist Mariam Abdelbasette illustrated how these practices intersect: her husband was reportedly deported from Oman to Egypt, following a procedure that allegedly involved INTERPOL, without meaningful due process and subsequently disappeared, while she herself faced travel restrictions, politically motivated terrorism-related accusations, threats of deportation and sustained intimidation of her and her family.

The panel stressed that the target is not only the individual defender. The broader objective is to create fear and silence entire communities, to make people think twice before speaking, organising, documenting violations, engaging with the media or cooperating with the United Nations.

When a journalist sees a colleague’s family arrested, the message reaches hundreds of journalists. When an activist’s relatives are detained, it reaches an entire exile community. Self-censorship becomes a survival strategy, undermining freedom of expression, independent journalism and cooperation with international human rights mechanisms.

Aua Baldé underlined that the cross-border nature of these threats challenges conventional approaches to human rights protection, which are typically organised around a single jurisdiction.

She emphasised that States must not be allowed to evade their human rights obligations by facilitating, outsourcing or benefiting from acts of repression carried out beyond their borders.

Recommendations

The panel called on the African Commission and the UN human rights system to:

  1. Adopt a dedicated resolution formally recognising transnational repression as a distinct and growing human rights challenge in Africa.
  2. Establish a joint task force on transnational repression bringing together the relevant ACHPR special mechanisms — on human rights defenders, freedom of expression, refugees and asylum seekers, reprisals and enforced disappearances — and UN human rights mechanisms, to ensure a coordinated and victim-centred response.
  3. Undertake a comprehensive continental study on transnational repression in Africa, examining patterns such as proxy punishment, digital repression, forced return, deportation, the misuse of counter-terrorism frameworks and cross-border security cooperation.
  4. Pay greater attention to the targeting of family members and proxy punishment, one of the most widespread and least addressed forms of transnational repression in the region.
  5. Design protection mechanisms with the meaningful participation of affected communities, guided by the principle that nothing about targeted communities should be discussed without targeted communities.

The panel concluded that, when repression crosses borders, protection and accountability must cross borders too.

Regional and international institutions must work together, including under the Addis Ababa Roadmap on cooperation between the ACHPR and UN Special Procedures, to ensure that defenders do not lose access to protection simply because their cases extend beyond a single country.

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/ngo-forum-from-restrictive-laws-to-transnational-repression-protecting-human-rights-defenders-in-africa

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/achpr89-training-17-inspiring-defenders-from-africa-strengthened-their-capacity-and-advocated-at-ngo-forum/

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UN Third Committee Hears that Human Rights Defenders face growing repression

October 21, 2026
United Nations

Enforced disappearances are reaching alarming levels worldwide, while human rights defenders face increasing persecution and surveillance, United Nations experts warned the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) on 20 October 2026 citing thousands of unresolved cases and growing threats to those seeking justice and accountability.

Andrea Bolaños Vargas, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, warned that criminalization has become the most prevalent global threat facing those who expose abuses and defend fundamental freedoms. Presenting findings from a survey of 1,122 respondents, she reported that 66 per cent of women human rights defenders believed their situation had deteriorated, rising to 78 per cent among LGBTIQ+ women defenders. Three quarters said restrictive laws and regulations had undermined their work.

“Criminalization is combined with disinformation and stigmatization, surveillance, arbitrary detention, administrative restrictions, funding restrictions, digital attacks, and in some cases, violence against defenders themselves, as well as their families,” she said. Such threats extend even to regions with long-standing democratic traditions. “The human cost is enormous,” she stressed, reporting that 83 per cent of survey respondents experienced negative effects on their mental health. Nearly half of the women human rights defenders surveyed reported having to leave their homes to seek safety, with 24 per cent internally displaced and 22 per cent forced into exile.

Even exile offers no guarantee of protection, she warned, citing surveillance, attacks against relatives, deprivation of nationality and other forms of transnational oppression. “Protection alone is not enough,” she declared, adding: “The aspiration must be that no one has to risk their safety, freedom or life to defend human rights.” [see e.g. https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/09/28/over-130-human-rights-experts-issue-global-call-for-states-to-end-transnational-repression/]

Delegates Clash over Imprisoned Activists

…The Czech Republic’s representative highlighted the imprisonment of human rights defenders in Belarus and the Russian Federation, drawing attention to Ukrainian activists Iryna Danylovych and Amet Suleymanov, held in Russian Federations prisons without adequate medical care.

Germany’s delegate urged Moscow to release two Indigenous human rights defenders and called on China to free Hong Kong lawyer Chow Hang Tung.

Rejecting the criticism, China’s representative accused Germany of spreading “smears”. “Some countries and political forces seek to portray criminals as human rights defenders to whitewash their unlawful and criminal conduct,” he said.

Belarus’s delegate dismissed the Czech Republic’s allegations concerning medical care for detainees, insisting that free healthcare is available to all, including prisoners. The Russian Federation’s representative, meanwhile, accused Ukraine and the Baltic States of persecuting those defending Russian-speaking populations, citing the arrest of Latvian activist Viktor Gushchin.

The European Union’s representative, speaking in its capacity as observer, warned that growing fear and self-censorship among people cooperating with United Nations human rights mechanisms represents “a substantive loss to us all”, expressing concern over technology-facilitated transnational repression….

https://press.un.org/en/2026/gashc4446.doc.htm

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Both UN experts and NGOs urging India to end the crackdown on peaceful protests

October 20, 2026

On 20 October 2026, a large number of UN special rapporteurs and experts as well as 4 important NGOs called on India to end the crackdown on peaceful protests and release arbitrarily detained protesters.

Alarmed by a repeatedly heavy-handed police response to peaceful youth-led demonstrations in New Delhi and other parts of the country over the past three months, UN experts and international NGOs ca;;ed on Indian authorities to respect, protect and fulfil the right to peacefully protest, and ensure justice for human rights violations reported during these and previous protests.

“This crackdown reflects a broader, troubling pattern,” the experts said. “We have repeatedly alerted the Indian authorities to undue restrictions on peaceful assembly, excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and the targeting of student activists, amongst others.” In March, 10 student and labour-rights activists were reportedly detained in New Delhi by plain-clothes police officers, held incommunicado for more than 24 hours, and allegedly subjected to ill-treatment, threats, coercion and forced declarations, before being released following habeas corpus proceedings.

Over the last months, hundreds of thousands of students and their supporters have been gathering peacefully to protest in different parts of the country against Government decisions regarding the education system, and more recently, voter-roll deletions which affect 130 million individuals, reportedly belonging to the Muslim minority, Scheduled Castes and Tribes. “Despite the non-violent nature of the assemblies, law enforcement agencies have reportedly deployed force against unarmed students, including lathi charges and have prevented thousands from joining the protests,” the experts said.

The experts raised concerns over reports that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) – or India’s criminal procedure code – has been invoked to impose broad bans on public gatherings, suspend public transportation and execute internet shutdowns.

“We call on the authorities to immediately cease the use of excessive force, rescind blanket assembly bans, and refrain from the misuse of digital surveillance, including through biometrics, and internet disruptions.” The experts called for an independent, impartial, and thorough investigation into the conduct of law enforcement and affiliated forces to be launched without delay to ensure full accountability, justice, and victims’ reparations.

Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Front Line Defenders and South Asians for Human Rights also call on the Indian authorities to release everyone arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and ensure accountability for abuses by security forces.

On 10 October 2026, protests were called by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and backed by student groups calling for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner of India, following reports that the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls by the election commission removed around 130 million names from voter lists.

Arbitrary detentions continued on 11 October and there were reports of physical attacks by police on protesters in detention. Many women protesters and journalists accused security personnel of sexual harassment while detaining them during the protests.Right-wing vigilante groups were also seen threatening and assaulting protesters and journalists. Some of them harassed Muslim women journalists while they were covering the protests.

Nearly 40 journalists were detained over the two days. Some of them were physically assaulted, intimidated, and had their camera and mobile phones seized or destroyed despite showing their press identity cards. A group of lawyers who carried out a rally near the Supreme Court in support of protesters also faced unlawful force by police and some were detained briefly.

Instagram accounts of the news outlets Molitics and Journo Mirror have been blocked in India during its coverage of the protests citing Information Technology Rules.

On 10 October authorities also ordered a 24-hour mobile internet shutdown in central Delhi. Mobile internet was also reportedly blocked at eight stadiums used as detention centres, cutting detainees off from their lawyers and families. Reports also suggest that the shutdown was taking place beyond areas of protests and detention.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/10/india-un-experts-alarmed-fresh-crackdown-protests-and-rights-violations

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/india-end-crackdown-peaceful-protests-and-release-arbitrarily-detained-protesters

https://m.thewire.in/article/rights/backstory-its-a-terrible-time-to-be-a-journalist-in-modis-india/amp

https://kmsnews.org/kms/2026/10/17/six-us-lawmakers-urge-rubio-to-raise-indias-crackdown-on-protesters-during-visit.html

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Tomorrow 20 October webcast event on transnational repression and reprisals against HRDs in New York

October 19, 2026

Recent developments within the UN human rights system have brought increasing attention to the scale of TNR, its human rights impacts and the obligations of States and other actors to prevent and respond to it. On 23 September 2026, more than 130 Special Procedures mandate holders and Treaty Body members issued a joint statement on TNR, describing it as a growing, direct challenge to the international human rights system and the UN Charter’s principles. The statement clarifies the legal obligations of States under international law, and sets out a roadmap for States, businesses, INTERPOL and international organisations to better prevent and respond to TNR, and protect and assist individuals and groups affected. These recommendations build on existing reports by UN Special Procedures, the brief on TNR by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council. [see https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/09/28/over-130-human-rights-experts-issue-global-call-for-states-to-end-transnational-repression/]

TNR also increasingly intersects with acts of intimidation and reprisal against individuals and groups who cooperate, or seek to cooperate, with the United Nations. The Secretary-General’s 2026 annual report on reprisals (A/HRC/63/62) documents TNR-related reprisals affecting individuals and organisations across regions, including through digital technologies. These practices can extend the reach of repression across borders, targeting defenders and other civil society actors even after they have left the country in which the original threats arose. They can also affect relatives, colleagues and communities, creating a broader chilling effect on engagement with the United Nations. Of the  32 States cited in the report, 15 are cited for violations that include TNR, affecting at least 43 individuals and four organisations. [see https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/10/01/un-report-warns-of-transnational-reprisals-human-rights-defenders-cooperating-with-the-un/]

The growing recognition of these interconnected patterns creates an opportunity to move from documentation and recognition towards coordinated prevention, protection and accountability. Responses to TNR should be grounded in international human rights law and should address the conduct of both States perpetrating repression abroad and States within whose territory such acts occur. They should also ensure that people at risk can safely access international and regional human rights mechanisms, including the United Nations.

This UNGA81 side event will bring together UN experts, States and civil society to examine how TNR and reprisals manifest in practice, clarify applicable human rights standards and responsibilities, and identify concrete measures that States, the UN and other actors can take to prevent violations, protect those at risk and ensure accountability.

Location: New York City, United States of America

Date: 20 October 2026

  • Time: 1:15PM – 2:30PM EST
  • Address: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 7
  • Event language(s) English
  • RSVP Needed: no
  • The event will be webcast on UN Web TV.

Opening remarks: Ambassador Laura Dupuy Lasserre, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations

Speakers:

  • Claudia Fuentes Julio, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights [tbc]
  • Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
  • Grażyna Baranowska, Chair of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID)
  • Civil society representative

Closing remarks: Ambassador Florian Laudi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations

Moderator: International Service for Human Rights

https://ishr.ch/events/beyond-borders-not-beyond-reach

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Five Human Rights Defenders Targeted for Seeking Help Abroad

October 19, 2026
Freedom House Logo - Torch next to words Freedom House

PPI Watch_Sept2026

From left to right: Pham Chi Dung, Anar Mammadli, Joshua Wong, Mohammad Seifzadeh, Gasser Abdel Razek (Photo Credits: Pham Chi Dung Facebook, Wikimedia Commons, Center for Human Rights in Iran, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights)

Brian Tronic, Director, Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners, wrote “Dictatorial regimes are retaliating against democratic activists who talk to foreign governments and international bodies“

On September 2, prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to charges under the territory’s notorious National Security Act—the second time he has faced prison time under the Beijing-imposed law. Having already been imprisoned since November 2020, he now faces the possibility of another lengthy sentence simply for demanding that Hong Kongers have a voice in their own government. Joshua’s detention has been widely recognized as emblematic of the Chinese Communist Party’s increasing restrictions on freedom in and the autonomy of Hong Kong.

However, his case is also an example of an important but less visible phenomenon: to hide truth about their abuses, dictatorial regimes are criminalizing the act of talking to the outside world. The allegations against Joshua included meetings in the United States with Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and then Senator Marco Rubio. Unfortunately, activists around the globe are facing similar charges. The following cases highlight the efforts of repressive regimes to shut down engagement with foreign democracies and international bodies that have made protecting democracy part of their mission.

Vietnamese journalist Pham Chi Dung was detained after petitioning members of the European Parliament (EP) to pressure Vietnam over its human rights record. In 2019, he wrote to EP members asking them to postpone ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement until Vietnamese authorities made human rights improvements, and made a similar appeal in a video featured at an event hosted by a British EP member. Two days later, he was arrested. UN experts noted that the arrest “appears to be an act of reprisal for his human rights advocacy.” Dung was later sentenced to 15 years in prison for “conducting antistate propaganda,” and he remains imprisoned today.

Mohammad Seifzadeh, a human rights lawyer in Iran, wrote a letter with other human rights activists to UN Secretary General António Guterres in December 2022, asking him to respond to the Iranian regime’s execution of peaceful protesters. Just a few months later, as a result of the letter, he was convicted of “propaganda against the system” and “spreading false information” and sentenced to a year in prison (though his sentence was eventually suspended for medical reasons).

Azerbaijani activist Anar Mammadli, chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS), was arrested in 2024 a few weeks after calling on Azerbaijani authorities to release political prisoners and respect fundamental rights at events hosted by the UN Human Rights Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). A group of UN officials expressed “serious concerns that Mammadli’s detention and prosecution may be in retaliation for his human rights work and his engagement with UN mechanisms.” In 2026, Anar was sentenced to 13 years in prison on a variety of baseless charges.

In November 2020, three staff of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, including Executive Director Gasser Abdel Razek, were arrested a few days after discussing human rights issues with 13 foreign ambassadors and diplomats. While they were released a few weeks later, they were placed under a travel ban that remains in place to this day.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/political-prisoners-watch-five-democracy-advocates-targeted-seeking-help-abroad

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Human rights defenders be aware: Russia, Belarus and four Central Asian countries sign pact to exchange information on alleged ‘extremists’

October 15, 2026
Photo: Russian Prosecutor General’s Office
Photo: Russian Prosecutor General’s Office

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe of 1 October 2026, prosecutors general of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have signed an agreement on cooperating to fight terrorism and extremism, Russian state-affiliated business daily RBC reported on Wednesday.

The agreement provides for the timely exchange of information on organisations, groups and individuals that the signatories consider “terrorist” or “extremist” and classify as national security threats. The countries will also reportedly share information on such groups’ international ties, possible attacks and threats to their sovereignty.

Additionally, the deal covers information on illegal armed groups; human, arms and drug traffickers; organisers of illegal migration; and foreign terrorist fighters.

Russia routinely uses terrorism and extremism charges to prosecute political opponents. The laws have become a tool for pressuring human rights defenders, antiwar activists and other groups the authorities see as disloyal.

According to a count by the independent outlet Mediazona, Russian authorities had opened at least 225 criminal cases for “financing extremism” over donations to the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation as of April 2026. In the first half of 2026 alone, more than 1,200 people in Russia were convicted on terrorism-related charges, a 38% increase from the same period last year. Nearly a third were tried solely over things they had said.

https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2026/10/01/russia-belarus-and-four-central-asian-countries-sign-pact-to-exchange-information-on-alleged-extremists-en-news

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Defenders’ Days in Stockholm: international conference for human rights defenders starts today

October 12, 2026
Over a hundred human rights defenders come to Sweden to meet at Defenders’ Days.

Today, 12 October 2026, Defenders’ Days opens, bringing together more than 100 human rights defenders from around the world to share experiences, build networks, and strengthen their work. Among the participants are a Palestinian editor-in-chief who has lost friends and colleagues during the war, a Venezuelan journalist who was detained because of her reporting, and a Ukrainian lawyer working to document war crimes. What they have in common is their commitment to defending human rights, one of the world’s most important and most dangerous callings. 

Defenders’ Days is an international conference for human rights defenders, providing a safe space where participants from across the globe can meet, exchange experiences, and learn from one another. For many, it is also a rare opportunity to pause, regain strength, and find support in work that is often marked by threats, harassment, and significant personal risk. 

“We are witnessing democracy and respect for human rights come under pressure in many parts of the world. At the same time, human rights defenders continue to stand up for others, often at great personal cost. For a few days, they have the opportunity to come together, build networks, and strengthen one another for the work ahead,” says Sofia Walan, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders. 

The conference brings together journalists, lawyers, democracy activists, environmental defenders, and human rights defenders from more than 50 countries. The programme includes training sessions and workshops on topics such as digital security, psychosocial well-being, advocacy, and leadership. 

Equally important, however, is the opportunity to meet others who share similar experiences. 

“Defending human rights can be both challenging and isolating. At Defenders’ Days, participants can connect with people who understand their reality. It creates new partnerships, provides renewed energy, and serves as a reminder that they are part of a global movement working together to defend freedom, democracy, and human rights,” says Sofia Walan. 

Defenders’ Days was launched in 2013 and is organised by Civil Rights Defenders. This year’s conference takes place on 12–14 October and brings together participants from more than 50 countries. 

Read more about Defenders’ Days here.

They risk their lives for human rights – now they are coming to Sweden

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The laureates of the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award are..

October 10, 2026

On 8 October 2026 Front Line Defenders announced the five laureates of its prestigious 2026 Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, which was presented at a special ceremony in Dublin this morning:

  • Africa: Laurinda Manuel Gouveia (Angola)
  • Americas: Adda Vyctoria Caetano (Brazil)
  • Asia and the Pacific : Umar Khalid (India)
  • Europe and Central Asia: Ljiljana (Serbia)
  • Middle East and North Africa: Ahmadreza Haeri (Iran)

“There is a powerful wave of people who believe there is a better path despite the worrying state of affairs for human rights defenders (HRDs) around the world today; a wave of those who believe in a brighter future. This year’s laureates are emblematic of this wave of positive change,” said Alan Glasgow, CEO of Front Line Defenders.

“These laureates represent the defenders from every corner of the world who are courageously and peacefully standing up for justice and equality. Arbitrary detention, torture, death threats, judicial harassment, smear campaigns: these are some of the hazards of standing up for human rights and, still, these laureates have refused to stay silent.”

The Annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk was established in 2005 to honour HRDs who make outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the ]uman rights of others, often at great personal risk. The Award focuses international attention on their work and struggles, giving them a greater national and international platform to speak about the issues they defend.[see hhttps://trueheroesfilms.com/equip/digest/?sort=most&award=2E90A0F4-6DFE-497B-8C08-56F4E831B47D]

This year’s laureates were selected from among hundreds of candidates put forward in a secure, public nomination process carried out between November 2025 and January 2026.

The winners receive support to bolster their protection, including digital and physical security, advocacy, visibility, wellbeing and more. The laureates received the Award at a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin today, which was attended by foreign diplomats and representatives of the Irish government and Department of Foreign Affairs, civil society and media organisations among others.

View a photo booklet of the Award winners

Africa

Laurinda Manuel Gouveia is an Angolan woman human rights defender who has promoted women’s rights, fundamental freedoms and participatory democracy for over a decade. In 2021 she co-founded the Balumukenu Association, which trains young people, violation documentss and builds civic participation. Her School of Human Rights and Community Leadership has seed helped at least four new youth movements. Arrested several times for her work, she once spent 73 hours in a police cell with her seven-month-old baby. Despite this, what keeps Laurinda going is a belief that Angola can change, and that every generation bears responsibility for its own moment. She has helped secure the release of four activists imprisoned for exercising their freedoms and civic and participation is now campaigning for Inécio Pessela, a 15-year-old paralysed after being shot by police at 14 during the 2025 taxi drivers’ strike.

“When young people know their rights, organise themselves and involved, they cease to be mere spectators to reality and become agents of change.” Laurinda Manuel Gouveia

Americas

Adda Vyctoria Caetano is a trans Black quilombola woman, artist, cultural producer and leader of her community, the Quilombo Conceichocéo dos Caetanos in Brazil’s northern state of Cear. As National Coordinator of CONAQ’s LGBTQIAPN+ Collective, she works to strengthen the political organisation and visibility of LGBTQIAPN+ people within the quilombola (the term quilombolo’ refers to communities of Black ancestry linked to the slave of resistancery in Brazil), her role in CONAQ’s National Collective of Quilombola Women. Facing threats, intimidation, online attacks and attempts tocredit dis dis her public leadership roles, she has built support networks and turned individual threats into collective protection. Every advocacy for the LGBTQIAPN+ community and defence of quilombola rights are steadfast.

“I fight for ownership of our territories because territory is life, ancestry and the future. I fight so that no one has to hide who they are in order to have the right to belong.” Adda Vyctoria Caetano

Asia and the Pacific

Umar Khalid is a well known name in India today. To those who try to silence his work, he is an “enemy of the state” and an “antinational”, but to others, he is a national hero, a voice of the people, and a human rights defender. For the last six years, Umar Khalid has been shackled behind bars for his leadership in the peaceful and democratic civil movement against the unconstitutional and anti-Muslim amendments to India’s citizenship laws. The law, which accompanied increasingly hostile climate of growing Hindu nationalism, threatens to disproportionately strip Muslims of documentation and legal status. Umar Khalid, with a steady trajectory defending students’, minorities’ and citizens’ rights, is seen as one of the key voices speaking out out against this injustice. Several major international human rights organisations, as well as the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, have highlighted the illegality of his arrest and detention.[see https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/02/20/international-ngos-call-for-the-immediate-release-of-umar-khalid-in-india/]

“We won’t respond to violence with violence. We won’t respond to hate with hate. If they spread hate, we will respond to it with love.”

Because he remains jailed, Umar Khalid was unable to travel to Dublin to receive his receive Award.

Europe and Central Asia

Ljiljana Nešić is a Serbian human rights defender, feminist, and peace activist who has advanced and protected women’s rights for more than 33 years. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to supporting women victims of domestic and intimate partner violence (including that perpetrated by soldiers who returned from the Yugoslav wars), advocating for gender equality, women’s safety, and access to justice, with a particular focus on women living in rural andalised margin communities in southern Serbia. She is now the President of ‘ene za mir (Women For Peace). She has faced detention, defamation, threats, including threats of sexual violence, and hacking. The threats have increased significantly in the last few years, and in December 2025 her home was broken into ransacked in what is believed to be an act of intimidation. She says she has never felt as unsafe in her work as she does now, but she continues.

“Let your courage be gentle. Let your word be a bridge. And let your heart never settle for a world where women are silent and peace is a privilege.”

Middle East and North Africa

Ahmadreza Haeri is an Iranian Kurdish human rights defender and anti-death penalty campaigner who has dedicated his life to defending the dignity and fundamental rights others. On 9 September 2026, he was released after three and a years half of imprisonment, during which physical assault, solitary confinement nor judicial harassmented succeed in silencing his courageous defence of prisoners ’ rights, including their right life. Ahmadreza is one of the initiators of the “No to Death Penalty on Tuesdays” campaign, a grassroots, prisoner-led movement against prisoner executions in Iran. For years, Iran has typically been among the world’s most prolific state executioner, and executions announced in 2025, with at least 2,159 people hanged, according to Amnesty International. Prisoners across tens of prisons now participate in the weekly hunger strikes each Tuesday (executions are often scheduled on Wednesdays) despite pity consequences.

“They are seeking death, while we are fighting for life. I am certain that in our struggle for the right to life, there is no defeat.” Ahmadreza Haeri

*Despite being recently released, Ahmadreza Haeri remains in Iran and was also unable to travel to Dublin to receive his Award due to security reasons.

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/tr/node/9395

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Nice example of local empowerment of HRDs (Nigeria)

October 9, 2026

Funmi Ogundare -in this This Day of 8 Ocober 2026- gives a good example what can be done at local level for young people: whatsapp sharing button

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has empowered 30 senior secondary students of Premiere Academy, Abuja, as human rights defenders and peace ambassadors, charging them to promote human rights, peace and civic responsibility in their school and communities.
The Executive Secretary, Chief Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, SAN, received the students at a special peace advocacy and human rights training organised by the commission on Monday
He was accompanied by the Deputy Director, Human Rights Education and Promotion, Mrs. Uche Okwuobi.
The training, facilitated by officers of the Human Rights Education and Promotion Unit and representatives of other departments of the commission, focused on strengthening the students’ understanding of human rights, citizen responsibilities and civic values.
The students were also introduced to the mandate and activities of the NHRC and received practical knowledge on human rights, civic responsibilities, justice, equality and the need to respect the dignity and fundamental rights of every individual.
An interactive question-and-answer session further deepened the students’ understanding of the commission’s role in promoting, protecting and monitoring human rights in Nigeria.
During the session, the students engaged NHRC officials on issues including human rights violations, child protection, bullying, discrimination, abuse and access to justice.
The Principal of Premiere Academy, Mr Chris Akinsowon, described the visit as a demonstration of the school’s commitment to developing students equipped with academic knowledge, character, confidence, discipline, civic awareness and a strong sense of responsibility.
He stated that the engagement was both educational and inspiring, as it enabled the students to gain a deeper appreciation of the role of human rights in building a peaceful, just and democratic society.
“Through various sessions like the one with NHRC, our students are being empowered and encouraged to become responsible citizens who understand the law, respect diversity, are able to speak up against injustice and contribute positively to society,” he said.
While appreciating the NHRC for enhancing the students’ awareness through the training, the principal said the school would continue to create opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom and prepare students to become responsible leaders and positive contributors to national development.
“At Premiere Academy, we believe that education is not only about what students know, but also about who they become and how they use their knowledge to make a difference,” he said.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/07/nhrc-empowers-30-students-as-human-rights-defenders-peace-ambassadors

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