Three outstanding human rights defenders based in authoritarian states are nominated for the 2021 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. In isolated Turkmenistan, Soltan Achilova documents human rights violations and abuses through photojournalism. Imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, Loujain AlHathloul is a leading advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. A lawyer, Yu Wensheng defended human rights cases and activists before his conviction and imprisonment in China. The Finalists distinguish themselves by their bravery and deep commitment to the issues they defend, despite the many attempts to silence them by respective governmental authorities. The 2021 Martin Ennals Award Ceremony will celebrate their courage on 11 February during an online ceremony hosted jointly with the City of Geneva which, as part of its commitment to human rights, has for many years supported the Award.
