The nominations process for the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2020 is now open and the call for nomination is out. . Nominations will be accepted until 29 October 2019, and we would like to invite you to be a nominator for the award.

Since 2013, Civil Rights Defenders has awarded the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award to a prominent human rights defender who, despite the risk to their own safety, continues the fight for respect and protection of civil and political rights.

The Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2019 was awarded to Márta Pardavi, Co-Chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, one of Hungary’s leading human rights organisations. For more information about past award recipients please click here.

Nomination is by invitation only.

To nominate someone for the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2020, we ask that you submit a nomination form and a consent form signed by the nominee to award@crd.org before 29 October 2019. Use the email subject “Nomination for the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2020”. Please click here for the call for nominations and links to download both forms (also attached here).

Candidates:

· Should have a central role in the human rights movement in the country or region where the person is active;

· Should have made exceptional contributions to the promotion and protection of civil and political rights; and

· Could be in need of international attention to improve the person’s protection.

Eligibility for nomination:

· Only individuals, not organisations, can be nominated;

· Self-nomination is not allowed; and

· Incomplete application forms will not be considered.

Nomination Process:

The recipient of the award is selected by the Board of Civil Rights Defenders, which chooses between three candidates presented by the organisation’s secretariat. The secretariat makes their choices based on nominations submitted by people like you. You can read answers to some frequently asked questions about the award here.

If you have additional questions, you may contact alexander.lange@crd.org.

I strongly encourage you to nominate the brave human right defenders around you who deserves such a big recognition and support. I hope your best nominees from our region will win the prize for the second time.