@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social
Security, protection, visibility + advocacy for human rights defenders at risk.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📢 On World Day Against the Death Penalty, we highlight the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award MENA regional laureate: Iranian human rights defender Ahmadreza Haeri, one of the initiators of the prisoner-led "No to Death Penalty on Tuesdays" campaign.
🔗 Read more: zurl.co/UYMEr
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍Bangladesh
🚨WHRD Shampa Goswami faces a travel ban, police investigation and ongoing harassment linked to her human rights work.
FLD calls on the authorities in Bangladesh to immediately lift the travel ban and end all harassment and intimidation against her.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialThe five winners of the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk pictured at Trinity College in Dublin, where a special ceremony was held in to honor them.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialAhmadreza Haeri is an Iranian Kurdish HRD and anti-death penalty campaigner, and the 2026 Middle East and North Africa winner of the Front Line Defenders Award. He has dedicated his life to defending the dignity and fundamental rights of others.
Read more about him here: zurl.co/LFNJg
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialCongratulations to Ljiljana Nešić, the 2026 Europe and Central Asia winner of the Front Line Defenders Award. Ljiljana is a Serbian human rights defender, feminist, and peace activist who has advanced and protected women’s rights for more than 33 years.
Read more about her here: zurl.co/ZvRXX
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialUmar Khalid is the 2026 Asia winner of the Front Line Defenders Award. For six years, he has been in prison for his leadership in the peaceful and democratic civil movement against the unconstitutional and anti-Muslim amendments to India’s citizenship laws.
Read more about him here: zurl.co/ZR3fB
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialCongratulations to the Americas winner of the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award, Adda Vyctoria Caetano - a trans Black quilombola woman, artist, cultural producer and leader of her community, the Quilombo Conceição dos Caetanos in Brazil.
Read more about her here: zurl.co/Pcrv7
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialCongratulations to the 2026 Africa winner of the Front Line Defenders Award, Laurinda Manuel Gouveia - an Angolan woman human rights defender who has promoted women's rights, fundamental freedoms and participatory democracy for over a decade.
Read more about her here: zurl.co/5WNz5
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialJoin us online today from 09:00 AM on our YouTube channel as we announce the winners of the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk:
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍CRIMEA (UKRAINE)
🚨Imprisoned WHRD Iryna Danylovych is reportedly facing sustained harassment & death threats from other inmates.
FLD condemns her continued ill-treatment & lack of medical care and reiterates its call for her immediate & unconditional release.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍GREECE
🚨HRDs Panayote Dimitras & Tommy Olsen are standing trial, today, 6 October, facing up to 20 years in prison, for their work supporting refugees & migrants, and calls for all charges against them to be dropped.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.socialWe’re delighted to welcome Barry Andrews to the Front Line Defenders Board!
🔗 See more on his profile here: zurl.co/X11cb
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍IRAN
The Free Narges Coalition steering committee has published a new report on online harassment against human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, with input from digital protection and digital rights experts.
🔗Read the full report here: zurl.co/LGpgm
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍Chile
🚨Mapuche Williche WHRDs face persistent stigmatisation, harassment, surveillance & criminalisation.
We urge the authorities in Chile to guarantee their safety and ensure they can defend their rights and territories without fear of reprisals.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍HONG KONG
🚨WHRD & lawyer Chow Hang-tung was sentenced to 7 years & 3 months in prison for “inciting subversion of state power”.
FLD calls for all charges against her to be dropped. HRDs must not be targeted for their peaceful human rights work.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍Pakistan
🚨Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir & Hadi Ali Chattha remain arbitrarily detained despite the Supreme Court granting them bail on 17 September 2026.
The Pakistani authorities must release them immediately and end reprisals and judicial harassment.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍SIERRA LEONE
🚨FLD welcomes the dismissal of criminal cases against HRDs Prince Tommy Williams & Mohammed Turay due to lack of evidence.
The HRDs continue to face intimidation amid ongoing proceedings over LNP’s land.
We call for their human rights work to be protected.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍Malaysia
🚨HRDs Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew were arrested on 22 September 2026 and are on remand until 25 September.
We call for their immediate and unconditional release in the absence of a clear and legal justification and for unjustified restrictions to be lifted.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍Bangladesh
🚨The draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026 poses serious risks to freedom of expression and media freedom.
We urge the Government to withdraw the draft in its current form and initiate a genuine, inclusive consultation process.
@frontlinedefenders.bsky.social📍MALAYSIA
🚨HRDs Amir Abd Hadi & Chew Chuan Yang and their organisations MANDIRI & HAYAT face frozen bank accounts and travel bans in reprisal for their human rights work.
FLD calls for the restrictions to be lifted.
