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human rights defenders
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- 1Václav Havel Prize 2026 goes to Nasrin Sotoudeh▼2026 Václav Havel Prize awarded to Iranian human-rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
Iranian human-rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been awarded the 2026 Václav Havel Prize, announced by the Council of Europe. Sotoudeh is known for defending women's rights activists and political prisoners in Iran and has faced repeated imprisonment for her work. The prize honours outstanding defenders of human rights in Europe and beyond, and the award is being widely noted as recognition of her continued activism despite years of persecution.
- 2Malaysia begins repatriation of Myanmar asylum seekers●Malaysia begins controversial repatriation of asylum seekers to Myanmar
Malaysia has started repatriating asylum seekers to Myanmar, a move rights groups have long warned could put returnees at risk. The operation involves people held in Malaysian immigration detention, many of whom fled Myanmar following the February 2021 military coup. Critics say the deportations violate international protections against refoulement, while Malaysian authorities have defended the action as a lawful immigration matter.
- 3Ukrainian activists urge Council of Europe to raise civilian prisoners issue●Питання цивільних бранців РФ має звучати на всіх переговорах - українські активісти у ПАРЄ Українські правозахисники, зв
Ukrainian human rights defenders, former civilian prisoners released from Russian captivity, and relatives of people still held by Russia addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, calling on European politicians to raise the release of civilian prisoners at every negotiation with Moscow. The activists argue that the fate of unlawfully detained civilians must be a standing item on all negotiation agendas.