26/08/2025 Prizes
The selection panel of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, which rewards outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights in Europe and beyond, has today announced the shortlist for the 2025 award.
Meeting in Prague, the panel – made up of independent figures from the world of human rights* and chaired by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos – decided to shortlist the following three nominees, in alphabetical order:
Mzia Amaghlobeli, Georgia
Mzia Amaghlobeli has been a pioneering Georgian journalist since 2000 and co-founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. Despite politically motivated imprisonment and harsh mistreatment following her exposure of abuses during protests, her courageous actions have helped draw attention to media repression and political abuse, aiming to ensure a democratic future for Georgia. Her arrest and subsequent sentencing in 2025 made her a symbol of press freedom and resilience in the face of government repression, highlighting the crucial role journalists play in defending human rights.
Maksym Butkevych, Ukraine
Maksym Butkevych is a Ukrainian journalist, human rights defender, and co-founder of the Human Rights Centre Zmina and Hromadske Radio. Despite his lifelong pacifism, he volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion and became a platoon commander. Captured and sentenced to 13 years by Russian forces, he endured over two years of harsh imprisonment before being released in a prisoner exchange in October 2024. He remains a powerful symbol of courage and resilience in defense of justice and freedom.
Ulvi Hasanli, Azerbaijan
Ulvi Hasanli is an Azerbaijani journalist and director of the independent media outlet Abzas Media since 2016. He has faced relentless government persecution since 2011, including arbitrary detention, torture, and politically motivated charges. In June 2025, Hasanli was sentenced to nine years in prison and is currently detained under harsh conditions in a remote prison, where he has endured hunger strikes and solitary confinement while continuing to embody resilience and commitment to press freedom.
Announcing the panel’s choice, the PACE President paid tribute to all defenders of human rights who, sometimes at the cost of their lives, stand firm to protect and promote fundamental freedoms and human rights. “Today, more than ever, it is of paramount importance to celebrate the women and men who, by their courage, determination and strength, show us the path to freedom. Journalists, in particular, through their courage, determination, and unwavering commitment to truth, illuminate the path to freedom and justice."
He added: "Recent years have truly been the worst for journalists, marking the most devastating period in memory, with record numbers killed, injured, and detained globally. In a world where information is vital and often contested, their tireless work in defending fundamental rights and exposing truths under great personal risk, exposing abuses and holding power to account, serves as a powerful example for all of us. Václav Havel believed deeply in the power of words and the importance of journalism, stating that words can change history and that truthful expression can disrupt oppressive regimes.”
The overall winner of the 2025 Prize is due to be announced at the opening of PACE’s Autumn plenary session in Strasbourg on 29 September. The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is awarded each year by PACE, in partnership with the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation. It consists of a sum of 60,000 euros, a trophy and a diploma.
Since its creation, the Prize has been awarded in turn to María Corina Machado (2024), Osman Kavala (2023), Vladimir Kara-Murza (2022), Maria Kalesnikava (2021), Loujain Alhathloul (2020), jointly to Ilham Tohti and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (2019), Oyub Titiev (2018), Murat Arslan (2017), Nadia Murad (2016), Ludmilla Alexeeva (2015), Anar Mammadli (2014) and Ales Bialiatski (2013).
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Contacts:
PACE Communication Division: +33 3 88 41 31 93
Václav Havel Library: Sabina Tancevova, +420 605 089 599
Charta 77 Foundation: Gabriela Svagrova, +420 224 214 452
*The members of the selection panel are Martin Bojar, physician, university teacher; Anne Brasseur, former Member of the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Zuzana Čaputová, former President of the Slovak Republic; Tiny Kox, former Member of the Senate of the Netherlands, former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Liliane Maury Pasquier, former Member of the Council of States of Switzerland, former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Jiří Přibáň, Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic.