FRONT LINE DEFENDERS AWARD
"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."
Nominations for our 2026 award are now closed
About the Award
The annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk was established in 2005 to honour the work of HRDs who are courageously making outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves.
The Award focuses international attention on the work and struggles of HRDs, providing a greater national and international platform to speak about and advocate for the human rights issues they are defending.
Laureates are selected from among scores of candidates which are put forward in a secure, public nomination process carried out towards the end of each year and Award winners are announced on the day of the Award Ceremony in Dublin during the following year.
Laureates receive support from Front Line Defenders teams on digital and physical security, advocacy, visibility, wellbeing and more.
Irish parliamentary Patrons of the Award include: Senator Patricia Stephenson, Barry Ward TD, Cormac Devlin TD, Seán Crowe TD and Senator Malcolm Noonan.
Front Line Defenders 2026 Award Winners:
Africa: Laurinda Manuel Gouveia (Angola)
Americas: Adda Vyctoria Caetano (Brazil)
Asia and the Pacific: Umar Khalid (India)
Europe and Central Asia: Ljiljana Nešić (Serbia)
Middle East and North Africa: Ahmadreza Haeri (Iran)
Previous Global Laureates
2025
Africa: Luc Agblakou of Hirondelle Club International (Benin)
Americas: The Movement for Human Rights, Peace and Global Justice (MONDHA) (Dominican Republic / Haiti)
Asia and the Pacific: Arnon Nampa of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (Thailand)
Europe and Central Asia: Sharifa Madrakhimova (Uzbekistan)
Middle East and North Africa: Mhamed Hali (Western Sahara)
Find out more about the 2025 winners
2024
Africa: Gamito dos Santos Carlos of AJOPAZ, the Youth Association for Peace (Mozambique)
Americas: The Trans women collective Muñecas de Arcoíris (Honduras), represented by Jennifer Bexara Córdova
Asia and the Pacific: Sammi Deen Baloch of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (Balochistan, Pakistan)
Europe and Central Asia: Doros Polykarpou of KISA (Cyprus)
Middle East and North Africa: We Are Not Numbers (Gaza, Palestine), represented by Ahmed Alnaouq
Find out more about the 2024 Award winners
2023
Africa: Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Americas: Segundo Ordóñez, Ecuador
Asia: Jeany 'Rose' Hayahay, Philippines
Europe & Central Asia: Digital Security Lab Ukraine, Ukraine
Middle East & North Africa: Hala Ahed, Jordan
Find out more about the 2023 Award winners
2022
Africa: Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Zimbabwe
Americas: Javier del Tránsito and María del Tránsito Salvatierra, Mexico
Asia: Liah Ghazanfar Jawad, Afghanistan
Europe & Central Asia: Volha Harbunova, Belarus
Middle East & North Africa: Ameira Osman Hamid, Sudan
2021
Africa: Aminata Fabba, Sierra Leone
Americas: Camila Moradia, Brazil
Asia: Mother Nature Cambodia, Cambodia
Europe & Central Asia 1: Siarhei Drazdouski & Aleh Hrableuski, Belarus
Europe & Central Asia 2: Mamadou Ba, Portugal
Middle East & North Africa: Sami & Sameeha Huraini, Palestine
2020
Africa: Mekfoula Mint Brahim, Mauritania
Americas: Guardia Indígena del Cauca, Colombia
Asia: Juwairiya Mohideen, Sri Lanka
Europe & Central Asia: Lara Aharonian, Armenia
Middle East & North Africa: Fatima Al-Bahadly, Iraq
2019
Award Winners; Global Laureate: Badr Baabou, Tunisia
2018
Award Winners; Global Laureate: Nurcan Baysal, Turkey
2017
Emil Kurbedinov, Ukraine
2016
Ana Mirian Romero, Honduras
2015
Guo Feixiong, China
2014
SAWERA, Pakistan
2013
Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritania
2012
Razan Ghazzawi, Syria
2011
Details of laureate withheld for security reasons.
2010
Soraya Rahim Sobhrang, Afghanistan
2009
Yuri Melini, Guatemala
2008
Anwar Al-Bunni, Syria
2007
Gégé Katana, Democratic Republic of Congo
2006
Ahmadjan Madmarov, Uzbekistan
2005
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Sudan
