Nuremberg International Human Rights Award
The Nuremberg International Human Rights Award is a biennial German award founded on September 17, 1995. The date chosen is significant; 60 years earlier, the Nuremberg Race Laws were adopted. Also, on September 17, 1939, Poland was invaded by the Soviet Union, soon after the German invasion that marked the beginning of World War II. Furthermore, the award was introduced 50 years after the end of the Second World War.
Origin and intentions
The award is endowed with €25,000 and is presented every two years to individuals or groups who have, in an exemplary manner, committed themselves to human rights, sometimes at considerable personal risk. The amount mentioned was €15,000 in the first years but has meanwhile been raised to €25,000. The awarding ceremony usually takes place in the Nuremberg Opera House and is followed by the Nuremberg Peace Table, an outdoor citizens′ festival in honour of the prizewinners, in the Way of Human Rights.Prizewinners
As of 2023, the prize has been awarded to 6 women and 11 men from 17 countries. In 1997 and 2003, two persons were decorated.| Year | Name | Country | Awarded for |
| 1995 | Sergei Kovalev | his committed fight against the war in Chechnya | |
| 1997 | Khémaïs Chammari | their peace activities in the Middle East | |
| 1997 | Abie Nathan | their peace activities in the Middle East | |
| 1999 | Fatimata M'Baye | her fight against discrimination of black African ethnic groups | |
| 2001 | Samuel Ruiz García | his struggle for the rights of indigenous peoples | |
| 2003 | Teesta Setalvad | their committed fight against prejudice, hatred and violence | |
| 2003 | Ibn Abdur Rehman | their committed fight against prejudice, hatred and violence | |
| 2005 | Tamara Chikunova | her engagement against death penalty and torture | |
| 2007 | Eugénie Musayidire | her reconciliation work between the two enemy tribes, the Hutu and the Tutsi, in Rwanda | |
| 2009 | Abdolfattah Soltani | his struggle for human rights in his home country | |
| 2011 | Hollman Morris | his commitment to respect for human rights in Colombia | |
| 2013 | Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera | her courageous fight against homophobia and for sexual self-determination in Uganda | |
| 2015 | Amirul Haque Amin | his fight for workers' rights in the textile and garment industry | |
| 2017 | Caesar | his courage in bringing the systematic torture and mass murders in Syria to the attention of the world public | |
| 2019 | Rodrigo Mundaca | his remarkable courage in his fight for the fundamental right to water | |
| 2021 | Sayragul Sauytbay | her admirable courage to report about crimes against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang | |
| 2023 | Malcolm Bidali | coming out fearlessly against abuse and exploitation of migrant workers in Qatar | |
| 2025 | The Parents Circle-Families Forum | keeping open the communication between Israeli and Palestine people, even in the hardest of times |
Jury
An international jury, headed by the Lord Mayor of Nuremberg, chooses the winner of the Human Rights Award, every two years. The members of the jury are elected for a period of four years. The current members are| Name | Country | Function |
| Gladys Acosta Vargas | Expert on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women | |
| Jean Ahn | Professor at Law School, Chonnam National University | |
| Iris Berben | Actress; ambassador for the “Room of Names” in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe | |
| Anne Brasseur | President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe | |
| Hilal Elver | Lawyer; former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food | |
| Noa Karavan-Cohen | Realisation of cultural projects, international conferences and documentary film projects longtime assistant to her father Dani Karavan who created the Way of Human Rights | |
| Morten Kjærum | Chair of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles | |
| Kagwiria Mbogori | Lawyer; Chair of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights | |
| Marcus König | Lord Mayor of the City of Nuremberg |
The high standing of this jury and the support lent by the United Nations, UNESCO and renowned non-government organisations have contributed to the award having won considerable international repute and its intention of protecting human rights defenders taking effect.