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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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Two human rights defenders continue to be prosecuted in Greece in spite of everything..why??

October 6, 2026

On 3 October 2026 Human Rights Watch and others lament the weird insistence of Greece to go ahead with the prosecution of two prominent human rights defenders as a politically-motivated attempt to silence their efforts to expose abuses against migrants, The trial of the two activists, Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen, is set to begin on the Greek island of Rhodes on 6 October 2026. See also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2025/11/21/human-rights-defenders-in-greece-on-trial-for-baseless-charges-for-assisting-people-on-the-move/

“The upcoming trial of Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen is a blatant attempt to criminalize and silence their legitimate human rights work,” said Eva Cossé, senior Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Prosecutors should drop this politically motivated case against Dimitras and Olsen once and for all.”

Dimitras, founder and president of the Greek nongovernmental group Greek Helsinki Monitor, and Olsen, a Norwegian national and founder of the nongovernmental group Aegean Boat Report, are being prosecuted alongside two Cameroonian asylum seekers on charges of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organization with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory.” If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.

The charges brought against the activists in early 2023 stem from their peaceful human rights and humanitarian work, Human Rights Watch said. The indictment seeks to criminalize the defendants’ practice of notifying Greek authorities and international bodies of the whereabouts of newly arrived asylum seekers and migrants on the Greek islands, to help ensure that they have access to the country’s asylum procedure and not be pushed back to Türkiye.

Dimitras and Olsen have for years documented and exposed human rights violations against asylum seekers and migrants, including violent pushbacks by Greek authorities, that have been characterized as “systematic” by the European Court of Human Rights.

On May 15, a Norwegian appeals court rejected Greek authorities’ request to extradite Olsen, who lives in Norway, to Greece through a European Arrest Warrant. The Norwegian court concluded that the acts described by Greek authorities do not constitute criminal offenses under Norwegian law, noting that assisting someone in initiating an asylum procedure is a lawful act protected by international treaties. The court also found that extraditing Olsen to Greece would present a real risk of violating his right to freedom of expression.

Because Greek prosecutors have maintained arrest warrants, including the European Arrest Warrant, against Olsen, Olsen faces arrest and detention if he travels to Greece to defend himself. Dimitras who lives in Greece, is not in detention but is subject to a travel ban preventing him from leaving the country. The court summons specifies that, under Greek law, defendants will be tried in their absence if they do not appear or are not represented by a lawyer.

Proceeding on that basis would amount to an in absentia prosecution under international law. Under international law, including the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Greece is a party, anyone convicted in absentia, who later returns to the country where the conviction was issued, should have the opportunity to a fresh determination of the merits of their case by a court there.

The prosecution of Dimitras and Olsen is part of a wider, well-documented pattern of Greek authorities misusing criminal and administrative law to harass and intimidate human rights activists and civil society organizations defending the rights of asylum seekers and migrants. In January, a Greek court on the island of Lesbos acquitted 24 humanitarian workers of similar charges, after prosecutors subjected them to a devastating seven-year legal ordeal.

Despite this high-profile acquittal, Greek authorities have failed to change course, Human Rights Watch said. In February, the Greek government passed a migration law that makes membership in a nongovernmental organization an aggravating circumstance in migration-related criminal offenses, in some cases elevating them to felonies, with draconian penalties.

In 2023, the then-United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, stated in a report to the UN Human Rights Council that “human rights lawyers, humanitarian workers, volunteers and journalists [working on migration in Greece] have been subjected to smear campaigns, a changing regulatory environment, threats and attacks, and the misuse of criminal law against them, to a shocking degree.” Lawlor has also said that the criminal investigation against Dimitras and Olsen “strongly appears” to be arbitrary.

“The Norwegian court firmly recognized that helping people present themselves to seek asylum is not a crime,” Cossé said. “Greek authorities should take a cue from the court and end this farce by dropping the case and halting the weaponization of criminal law against human rights defenders.”

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/10/03/greece-rights-defenders-on-trial

https://euobserver.com/241141/they-want-to-shut-me-up-norwegian-activist-fights-20year-greek-prison-threat-over-asylum-aid

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/greece-migrants-rights-defenders-tommy-olsen-and-panayote-dimitras-to

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/continued-judicial-harassment-and-trial-against-human-rights-defender-panayote-dimitras

https://ecre.org/mediterranean-ngo-questions-states-willingness-to-save-lives-after-latest-tragedy-%E2%80%95-trial-of-human-rights-defenders-in-greece-postponed-until-april-2027-%E2%80%95-european-court-cond/

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Reprisals against human rights defenders threaten civic space in Malaysia – serious concern about human rights defenders Amir Hariri Abd Hadi and Chew Chuan Yang

September 25, 2026

ARTICLE 19 and CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation denounce the intimidation and restrictions of human rights organisations MANDIRI and HAYAT, and their representatives, MANDIRI Executive Director Amir Harir Hadi, and MANDIRI Finance Director and HAYAT Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dobby Chew. The recent incidents signal an intensified, worrying pattern of harassment against human rights defenders in Malaysia, directly undermining the ability of civil society to advocate for accountability and reforms without fear of reprisal.  We stand in solidarity with Amir Hadi, Dobby Chew, and their organisations. Our organisations also urge the authorities to immediately reinstate affected bank accounts, lift the travel bans imposed on Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew, and drop the investigations against them. 

On 11 September, MANDIRI confirmed that Amir Harir Hadi’s personal bank account had been frozen under Section 44(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLA) 2001 until further instructions from the police. The bank accounts of Dobby Chew, as well as those belonging to MANDIRI and HAYAT have also been blocked. MANDIRI also confirmed that, as of 14 September, they have not received an official letter or notice from the police regarding an investigation into the matter.  

Authorities’ harassment of MANDIRI started in May 2026 after a call by Kamil Munim, political secretary to the finance minister and chief of the youth wing of the People’s Justice Party (PKR), for an investigation into alleged foreign funding that had been channelled to organisations, individuals, and politicians. Munim urged the authorities to carry out the investigations in the interest of protecting national security from political activities.  

A week prior, on 3 September, Amir Hadi confirmed that he had been banned from travelling abroad, shortly after Dobby Chew faced issues returning to Kuala Lumpur from Jakarta. Dobby has since been informed that he is also under a travel ban. 

‘Restricting the movement and financial operations of human rights organisations and defenders without transparency, due process, or clear legal justification is disproportionate and unnecessary. Such measures interfere with the legitimate work of civil society organisations, hampering their ability to operate independently, defend human rights, and support communities that they serve,’ said Alfred Wu, Head of the Asia-Pacific Programme at ARTICLE 19.

Both Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew voluntarily presented themselves to the Bukit Aman police station on 14 September to seek clarification regarding the frozen bank accounts and travel bans, having received no prior contact or information from the authorities on these restrictions. 

In recent months, human rights defenders have come under increasing pressure. Examples include investigations into the former CEO of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), Pushpan Muruguah, for allegedly committing an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy; investigations into political commentators and academics; the arrest of youth activists Hamdin Nordin, Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal, and Ahsanul Akmal Sulam in connection with allegations of misuse of power involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC); probes into activist Shakila Zen for allegedly defaming a royal institution by linking it to sand mining activities; and travel restrictions imposed on three activists from the electoral rights group BERSIH, Asraf Sharafi Azhar, Anas Nor’azim, and Alyaah Hani.  

‘Taken together, this string of incidents points to a troubling pattern of pressure against those who dare speak out and seek accountability. This risks entrenching a culture ofintimidation and silencing critical voices, which cannot be normalised. As Malaysia moves towards its next general elections, the authorities should instead be doing the opposite: ensuring a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders to operate in and hold those in power accountable without fear of reprisal. A protected civic space is not only essential for credible elections, but for a healthy and resilient democracy,’ said Josef Benedict, Civicus Asia Pacific Researcher.

Serious concern about the arrest and detention of human rights defenders, Amir Hariri Abd Hadi and Chew Chuan Yang in Malaysia

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on authorities to stop targeting human rights defenders and instead ensure transparency and accountability in matters involving corruption.

The call came after Mandiri executive director Amir Hariri Abd Hadi and finance director Dobby Chew were arrested on Sept 22 under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).

On 22 September 2026 Frontline issued a call for the release of Amir Hariri Abd Hadi and Chew Chuan Yang in Malysia.

https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-reprisals-against-human-rights-defenders-threaten-civic-space

https://www.sinardaily.my/article/741140/focus/national/stop-targeting-rights-defenders-cij-tells-authorities-after-mandiri-case

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/amir-hariri-abd-hadi-and-chew-chuan-yang-arrested-under-anti-money-laundering-law

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Bahraini Police Seize Prominent Human Rights Defender Naji Fateel in Dawn Raid

August 24, 2026

In a Blog for Human Rights First published on 20 August, 2026 Brian Dooley decries the arrest of Naji Fateel in Bahrain.

Around 5am on Tuesday morning this week, Naji Fateel was woken up by police banging hard on his bedroom door. They grabbed and arrested the Bahraini Human Rights Defender, and took him into custody.

Speaking today from jail, he described how startled he was at what happened, because in 2024, after spending a decade in prison for his human rights work, he was given a “Royal Pardon” and told was no longer wanted by the police. “They rushed into the house, terrifying the children, terrifying my mother, first thing in the morning. They dragged me out and put me on a bus,” he said.

Naji Fateel

Fateel is a prominent peaceful activist, known internationally for his human rights work. He was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 2016, while already imprisoned, he was given another fifteen-year sentence following his alleged role in prison unrest at the notorious Jau Prison the year before. That sentence was later reduced to ten years on appeal. Human Rights First was among those, including various UN mechanisms, regularly calling for his release over the years. I raised his case repeatedly, including in testimony I gave to the U.S. Congress in 2022.

Although he should never have been jailed in the first place, Bahrain’s ruling family – its unelected government – issued him a pardon in 2024, assuring him he had no more prison time to serve. But now he is back in jail.

The pretext for seizing him appears to be a fine imposed by the bizarre 2016 judgement over prison protests. In addition to the prison time, the sentence ordered Fateel and 56 other defendants to pay over $1million between them towards repairing alleged damage to the prison during the unrest, mostly to its air conditioning system.

Fateel says that when police put him on the bus they cited this collective punishment as the reason he was taken from his home and arrested in a dawn raid.

“They said, ‘You have a fine.’ I said ‘There was no need for you to do this – if you had called me and told me to come to your office, I would have come.’”

Fateel also said he had been specifically told, in a call with the police two days before the early morning raid, that there was no need for him to report to the police offices for anything.

He said the police who stormed his home showed no arrest warrant, and that the way they targeted him “was a method of intimidation.” He said today too that he and four others arrested that same morning have been told they will be brought before the Public Prosecution Office to be charged with crimes.

Not for the first time, Bahrain’s security forces seem to be exhibiting a dangerous mix of brutality and incompetence. Fateel should be released immediately, as should the other human rights activists still jailed in Bahrain for their peaceful criticism of the government

https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/library/bahraini-police-seize-prominent-human-rights-defender-naji-fateel-in-dawn-raid

Bahrain re-arrests human rights defender Naji Fateel two years after royal pardon

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/re-arrest-and-detention-human-rights-defender-naji-fateel-following-royal-pardon

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NGOs critical of Indonesia government’s plan to vet human rights defenders

May 11, 2026

On 2 May 2026, several newspapers reported on plans to vet human rights defenders in Indonesia :

The government’s plan to screen and determine who qualifies as a human rights activist to decide who receives legal safeguards has met with backlash from civil society groups, who warn the move risks state interference in rights protections.

The plan came as the Human Rights Ministry is seeking to introduce changes to the 1999 Human Rights Law and issue a new ministerial regulation to strengthen legal protections for human rights activists, citing concerns over criminalisation against those involved in advocacy works.

To ensure legal safeguards can be provided for activists, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai said his ministry would form an assessor team to evaluate whether detained individuals meet the criteria as human rights defenders.

The assessment will be based on strict criteria focusing on the individual’s actions at the time of the incident rather than self-declared status or public recognition. The team will review each case individually to ensure decisions are made based on the context of ongoing legal cases.

Legal protection, the minister stressed, would only be extended to those defending public interests, particularly vulnerable or marginalised groups. Those who are proven to have acted with personal or financial motives would be excluded.

“It’s possible that someone widely known as a human rights activist, at a certain moment, may be found by the assessor team to be acting for (financial gain). In such cases, they can’t be considered a human rights activist,” Mr Pigai said on April 29, as quoted by Antara.

He added those meeting the criteria would be shielded from prosecution from the earliest stages of legal proceedings.

see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/03/14/acid-attack-against-human-rights-defender-andrie-yunus-in-indonesia/

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/civil-groups-slam-indonesia-governments-plan-to-vet-human-rights-defenders

https://impactpolicies.org/news/897/why-government-vetting-of-rights-defenders-threatens-fundamental-democratic-freedoms

https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2026/05/02/panel-warns-of-narrowing-dissent-in-indonesia.html

https://en.antaranews.com/news/415455/indonesia-revises-human-rights-law-to-strengthen-institutions-pigai

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/05/indonesia-military-silences-dissent-disinformation-campaigns-branding-activists-journalists-foreign-agents

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/indonesian-authorities-using-online-disinformation-campaigns-target-critics-2026-05-19

https://frontlinedefenders.org/pl/node/9131

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/amnesty-international-indonesia-is-using-online-disinformation-campaigns-to-brand-critics-as-foreign-agents

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/28/indonesia-environmentalists-indigenous-leaders-unjustly-prosecuted

Report: Indonesian authorities weaponize laws to silence environmental and Indigenous defenders

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Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027: Human Rights Opportunity in Dublin and Geneva

April 15, 2026

The Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027, offered by Front Line Defenders, is a prestigious early-career opportunity designed for individuals seeking practical experience in the human rights sector. This 12.5-month fellowship combines training, field exposure, and institutional engagement across Dublin, Ireland, and Geneva, Switzerland.

The programme is structured to provide hands-on experience working with human rights defenders (HRDs) and international human rights mechanisms, particularly within the United Nations system.

Programme Structure and Learning Experience

The fellowship is divided into three distinct phases, offering a blend of training and applied experience:

  • Initial Phase (3.5 months in Dublin)
    Fellows begin at the headquarters of Front Line Defenders, where they receive training on:
    • Human rights defenders and their protection needs
    • The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
    • The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur
    • International protection mechanisms and advocacy strategies
  • International Placement (6 months in Geneva)
    Fellows transition to an internship with Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, gaining direct exposure to UN processes and global human rights monitoring systems.
  • Final Phase (3 months in Dublin)
    Fellows return to Dublin to consolidate learning and contribute to ongoing organisational work.

This structure ensures a comprehensive understanding of both grassroots advocacy and high-level international human rights systems.

Fellows will undertake a variety of responsibilities depending on their placement phase.

While in Dublin

  • Supporting Protection Coordinators in communication with human rights defenders
  • Assisting in drafting urgent appeals on behalf of at-risk individuals
  • Maintaining and updating internal databases
  • Contributing to reports, briefings, and documentation
  • Supporting follow-up on ongoing human rights cases

While in Geneva (OHCHR)

  • Monitoring global human rights situations, especially concerning defenders
  • Drafting communications and urgent appeals to governments
  • Analysing government responses to human rights allegations
  • Supporting preparation of reports for the Human Rights Council and General Assembly
  • Assisting in preparations for official missions of the UN Special Rapporteur
  • Liaising with NGOs and civil society organisations

This dual exposure enables fellows to develop both operational and analytical expertise.

Benefits and Compensation

The fellowship offers a competitive and supportive package designed to enable full participation:

  • Annual stipend of €30,629
  • 13 days of annual leave during the Dublin phase
  • Flights between Dublin and Geneva
  • Health and travel insurance coverage
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
  • Monthly well-being support while in Dublin

During the Geneva placement, conditions are governed by OHCHR internship regulations.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet strict academic, professional, and language requirements.

Academic and Professional Requirements

  • Recent graduates or candidates within one year of completing a degree
  • Fields of study include:
    • Human rights
    • Social sciences
    • Development studies
    • Humanitarian studies or related disciplines

Skills and Competencies

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent drafting and analytical abilities
  • Ability to synthesise complex information into concise outputs
  • Solid administrative and organisational skills
  • Computer literacy

Language Requirements

  • Native or near-native English proficiency
  • Fluency in either Spanish or French (mandatory)

Additional Requirements

  • Basic knowledge of the UN system and international human rights law
  • Legal eligibility to work in both Ireland and Switzerland for the full duration of the fellowship

Application Process and Deadline

Interested candidates must submit:

  • A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A tailored cover letter

Applications must be submitted via the official recruitment platform of Front Line Defenders.

Key deadline:

  • 14 April 2026 (midnight Irish time)

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered, and candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible due to the competitive nature of the programme.

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

Frank Jennings Fellowship 2026–2027: Human Rights Opportunity in Dublin and Geneva

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Risks for Human Rights Defenders amid war in the Middle East

March 10, 2026

On 5 March 2026, Front Line Defenders expressed deep concern over the escalating hostilities across the Middle East and their devastating impact on civilians following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran against Israel and several Gulf states. In line with our mandate, we are particularly alarmed by the heightened risks faced by human rights defenders across the region, including those arbitrarily detained for their peaceful human rights work…

Human rights defenders deprived of liberty are particularly vulnerable in such contexts. During periods of conflict, detained defenders may face increased risks of ill-treatment while access to medical care, family contact, legal representation, and independent monitoring may become further restricted. The risk of such violations increases if hostilities occur in close proximity to detention facilities.

Woman human rights defender and Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi, currently detained in Zanjan prison, reported severe explosions in close proximity following airstrikes. Golrokh Iraee, Sepideh Gholian, Shima Ghooseh, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Serveh Mohammadi, Mohammad Najafi, Mohammad Reza Faghihi, Reza Khandan, Ahmadreza Haeri, Taher Naghavi, Seyed Mehdi Karimi Farsi, Javad Alikordi, Abolfazl Ranjbari, Hashem Khastar, and Masoud Farhikhteh remain exposed to airstrikes. Their access to basic human needs are further restricted while detained in Tehran, Mashhad, Gilan, and other provinces.

Human rights groups are expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in Evin prison in Iran, where many human rights defenders are currently detained. Based on reports these groups have received from prisoners “the Security Ward 209 has been evacuated” and “anti-riot forces are stationed in the surrounding buildings.” Food distribution has reportedly also been disrupted. On the evening of 2 March 2026, the Israeli military forces reportedly issued an urgent evacuation order to people in the Evin neighbourhood. On 23 June 2025, during the twelve-day Israel-Iran conflict, Israeli forces attacked the Evin compound and Evin prison. Prisoners, including human rights defenders, were evacuated from the prison following the attacks. Iranian officials reported over 70 people killed from this attack on the Evin compound..

In Bahrain, there have been reports of strikes only kilometres from Jau prison where human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja continues to serve a life sentence for his peaceful human rights work alongside fellow human rights defender Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace. Front Line Defenders is also concerned over reports of arrests of defenders linked to anti-war protests in Bahrain and calls on the authorities to respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

All parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and those deprived of liberty. Hospitals, schools, and other sites protected under international humanitarian law, where human rights defenders and other civilians carry out essential work and provide humanitarian assistance, must not be targeted. Authorities should also immediately release detained human rights defenders and ensure they have access to adequate healthcare, contact with family members and legal counsel, and independent monitoring.

Front Line Defenders call on the international community, states, and multilateral organisations to remain attentive to the situation of human rights defenders in the region, raise protection concerns with the relevant authorities and provide concrete support and protection measures for human rights defenders at risk, if necessary through support with temporary relocation and emergency visa support.

Front Line Defenders stands in solidarity with human rights defenders across the region who continue their work under extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances.

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/heightened-risks-human-rights-defenders-amid-escalating-hostilities-middle-east

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Iran – enough attention?

January 29, 2026

Several readers of this blog, who are very concerned with the situation in Iran, wonder whether the human rights world is paying enough attention. There is no agreed criterion for measuring and – for sure – what the UN and NGOs can do is anyway limited. Still, just to give an idea here a list of recent links:

Report of the 39th Special Session of the Human Rights Council on the Human Rights Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

https://ifex.org/iran-women-human-rights-defenders-targeted-amid-intensifying-repression/

https://www.meforum.org/mef-reports/after-the-protests-who-can-lead-iran

https://www.article19.org/resources/iran-20-days-of-shutdown-hides-full-scale-of-human-rights-abuses/

https://iranwire.com/en/news/148285-prominent-activist-warns-of-regime-scorched-earth-strategy/

https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2025/01/20/iran-reform-and-the-role-of-human-rights-defenders

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202601236526
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-geneva/eu-statement-special-session-human-rights-situation-iran_en
https://freedomhouse.org/article/tipping-balance-how-support-iranians-their-tireless-struggle-freedom
https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/iran/iran-must-be-held-accountable-for-mass-killings-of-protesters-and
https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/01/high-commissioner-turk-calls-iranian-authorities-end-their-brutal
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/01/iran-after-unprecedented-violence-priority-must-be-gathering-evidence-hold

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20gypw8enjo

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/01/29/8018512/

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/iran-mass-arrest-human-rights-defenders-amid-escalating-repression-civil-society

https://www.cfr.org/articles/what-are-the-global-options-for-defending-iranians-rights

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protest-death-toll-ofogh-tv/33666963.html

https://tomdispatch.com/why-trumps-denunciations-of-the-iranian-killings-ring-fatally-hollow

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/3/game-is-over-irans-ex-leaders-hardliners-clash-after-protest-killings

https://www.eurasiareview.com/03022026-iran-publishes-protest-death-list-but-rights-groups-say-toll-is-far-higher/

https://www.eurasiareview.com/05022026-iran-human-rights-situation-spirals-deeper-into-crisis-hrw-says/

https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/02/09/power-struggle-in-iran-as-revolutionary-guards-arrest-presidents-allies/

https://www.ukrinform.net/amp/rubric-economy/4091781-canada-expands-sanctions-on-iran-over-crackdown-on-protesters.html

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202602173504

https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-18/mai-sato-un-special-rapporteur-on-iran-military-action-is-not-a-magic-solution.html

https://newlinesinstitute.org/middle-east-center/punishing-vulnerability-irans-minority-crackdown-after-the-12-day-war/

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/iran-war-womens-rights-democracy

https://reliefweb.int/report/iran-islamic-republic/iran-thousands-prisoners-risk

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-january-executions/33732949.html

Opinion: Iran is already ramping up its next war. Guess who the ‘enemy’ is.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/iranian-struggle-freedom-call-renewed-global-solidarity-support-people-iran

https://www.iranhr.net/en/articles/8695/

https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/158387-iranians-between-a-rock-and-hard-place.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/apr/24/pope-leo-condemns-protester-killing-iran-video

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/25/hanged-under-the-cover-of-war-letters-and-videos-tell-stories-of-iran-death-row-victims

https://alhurra.com/en/19400

UN Rights Chief Urges Halt to Executions, Warns of Escalating Repression Iran

https://iranfocus.com/human-rights/57848-record-number-of-imprisoned-writers-worldwide-iran-ranks-second-with-53-jailed-writers

Iran arrested at least 6,000 people since war began: Rights group

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-897985

https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/human-rights/stop-executions-in-iran/fox-news-iran-accelerates-execution-campaign-against-dissidents-amid-internet-blackouts

HANA Report: The Growing Crisis of the Right to Defense and Independent Lawyers in Iran Amid War Conditions and the Effective Collapse of the Rule of Law

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/06/iran-peace-deal-must-not-come-cost-human-rights-warn-un-experts

On 13 July 2026 Maryam Babak wrote for CIVICUS Lens: “IRAN: ‘Silencing society, and particularly women, is the regime’s survival strategy’

https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/statement-human-rights/iran-criminal-execution-of-aref-khoshkar-and-mohammad-amini-dahaqani

Authorities Escalate Crackdown on Iranian Students Amid Post-War Repression

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608021429

71 Executions Recorded in July 2026; At Least 444 Hanged in Iran in 2026

https://iranhr.net/en/articles/8952

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/yalda-moaiery-sentenced-15-years-imprisonment-absentia-under-amendments-espionage-law

https://iranhumanrights.org/2026/08/un-experts-urge-iran-to-end-escalating-targeting-of-ethnic-minorities

https://iranhr.net/en/articles/9004

https://iranhr.net/en/articles/9018

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/09/10/iran-ongoing-unlawful-execution-campaign-against-protesters

Iran: Escalation of Preventive Repression and Expansion of Social Control

https://iranhr.net/en/articles/9033

https://www.amnesty.org.au/iran-architects-of-crimes-against-humanity-to-suppress-protests-must-face-international-justice-to-deter-further-massacres

https://www.amnesty.org.au/iran-architects-of-crimes-against-humanity-to-suppress-protests-must-face-international-justice-to-deter-further-massacres

https://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/human-rights/un-probe-finds-crimes-against-humanity-in-iran-crackdown

https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/87-organizations-demand-an-immediate-halt-to-executions-in-iran-40249

Geneva Conference Warns of Shrinking Civil Space and Rising Executions in Iran

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Human rights lawyers couple Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha sentenced to jail in Pakistan

January 27, 2026

Several media (such as the CSR Journal and Barrons) and NGO (Frontline) talk about the case of human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband and fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha who were sentenced 10-year-jail by an Islamabad court on 24 January 2026 over anti-state social media posts. However, the pressure and arrest haven’t been able to silence her voice. She said to media agencies, “We will not back down. Truth seems overwhelmingly difficult in this country. But we knew that when we got into this work, we’re ready to face that,”. Mazari noted that the prison term won’t dent her resolve.

Imaan Mazari is a 32-year-old human rights lawyer from Pakistan who rose to fame for fighting some of the most sensitive cases and she has been defending ethnic minorities, journalists facing defamation charges and some of her clients have been branded blasphemers. With Mazari’s coming to prominence, so did the charges by the Pakistani government for cyber terrorism and hate speech. As per a court document, Mazari has been disseminating highly offensive content.

Mazari comes from a well-known family, she is the daughter of former minister for human rights, Shireen Mazari, and her late father was one of the top paediatricians of South Asia. Because of her strong determination of fighting back despite all odds, she is being compared to Pakistan’s one of the popular human rights lawyers, late Asma Jahangir. [see: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/14CC52FE-5F1B-4EF8-B1F5-607ED173AACC]

Mazari is a pro bono lawyer, she has handled some of the most sensitive cases in Pakistan, e.g. enforced disappearances of ethnic Balochs, she defended Mahrang Baloch. She has also taken up blasphemy cases.

Last year, the UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders said, “Cases against her appear to reflect an arbitrary use of the legal system to harass and intimidate”. She was first targeted in a press conference held sometime in early January, where a military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, shared Mazari’s post on X posts and filed a case against her, stating her as, “hidden elements committing subtle crimes. They operate under the guise of democracy and human rights to promote terrorism,”.

https://thecsrjournal.in/from-courtroom-prison-who-imaan-mazari-pakistan-human-rights-lawyer/

https://www.barrons.com/news/defiance-as-a-profession-pakistan-s-jailed-lawyer-imaan-mazari-07a01d94

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/imaan-zainab-mazari-and-hadi-ali-chattha-violently-arrested-despite-court-order

https://ommcomnews.com/world-news/un-experts-alarmed-by-conviction-of-pakistani-lawyers-and-human-rights-defenders

https://www.civicus.org/index.php/fr/medias-ressources/112-news/8102-pakistan-overturn-conviction-and-release-human-rights-lawyers-imaan-zainab-mazari-and-hadi-ali-chattha

https://www.fmbharat.com/en/world/rights-body-raises-alarm-over-unlawful-imprisonment-of-pakistani-human-rights-lawyers

Posted in Amnesty international, Front Line, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
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Ugandan human rights lawyer Sarah Bireete detained ahead of elections and abduction in June 2026

January 8, 2026

Sarah Bireete was arrested on December 30, 2025, after police and military personnel surrounded her home in Kampala. Shortly before her arrest, she posted on X, “My house is under siege by police and army”. As reported by East and Horn of Africa Election Observation Network (E-HORN) on 2 January 2026

The Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG) Kenya has called for the immediate release of Uganda’s human rights lawyer and civil society leader, Dr Sarah Bireete, warning that her detention ahead of the January elections threatens civic space and undermines democratic processes.

The Uganda Police confirmed her arrest in a brief social media post, stating she would be produced in court “in due course”. Police spokesperson Rachel Kawaala described the detention as part of “ongoing operations” but offered no further details.

“Dr Bireete is widely recognised for her unwavering passion for the protection of civil liberties, her lifelong quest for justice, and her steadfast commitment to democracy, a clarion call that has consistently advanced accountable governance across the region,” the Group said.

Bireete currently serves as Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Chairperson of the East Africa Civil Society Forum (EACSOF), and Chairperson of the Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN).

PRWG Kenya described these roles as reflective of her integrity, credibility and long-standing contributions to human rights, electoral integrity and democratic governance.

The group urged Ugandan authorities to respect civil liberties, the rule of law and democratic processes.

“Respect for civil liberties, rule of law and democratic processes is fundamental to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections,” PRWG Kenya said.

The statement also highlighted that Uganda’s constitution, under Article 23, guarantees that anyone arrested must be promptly informed of the reasons for their detention, a step that has not been followed in Dr Bireete’s case.

Bireete’s arrest follows her recent advocacy for Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, as a safeguard against potential internet shutdowns during the elections.

In a post dated December 23, 2025, she wrote, “Dear Ugandans, are you thinking of ways to navigate internet shutdown during elections? Starlink got you covered.”

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/uganda/263965/rights-group-demands-release-of-ugandan-human-rights-lawyer-sarah-bireete?amp=1

As the country approaches general elections on 15 January 2026, UN experts* today warned that the pervasive climate of fear in Uganda, marked by allegations of enforced disappearance, the use of disproportionate force against political opposition supporters, and the intensified suppression of civil society and independent media, is not conducive to peaceful elections.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/01/uganda-un-experts-urge-stronger-human-rights-safeguards-ahead-2026-elections

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/08/arrest-of-ugandan-activist-ahead-of-elections-spells-trouble

https://english.news.cn/20260118/c21ddafd3d1c4ca6964cd2d5270eddd8/c.html

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/news/273392/un-rapporteur-publishes-letter-faulting-uganda-over-oyoo-njagi-abductions?amp=1

and

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/activist-bireete-granted-bail-not-to-leave-uganda-without-court-s-permission-5340756

https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/uganda-arbitrary-arrest-and-pre-trial-detention-of-eight-environmental-rights-defenders

and then on 28 January 2026: https://76crimes.com/2026/02/09/uganda-sarah-bireete-freed/

but on 28 June 2026, Dr. Sarah Bireete was abducted for approximately three hours and subsequently released without explanation. This abduction was preceded by two separate military raids on her home, first on 28 December 2025, and then again on 25 June 2026. Front Line Defenders believes these acts are directly linked to her legitimate and peaceful human rights work, and is gravely concerned about the repeated targeting of the women human rights defender.

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/abduction-repeated-raids-and-ongoing-surveillance-woman-human-rights-defender-dr-sarah-bireete

Posted in Front Line, HRW, human rights, Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
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