Bahraini human rights activist al-Khawaja receives award for courageous struggle

Democracy campaigner Abdulhadi al-Khawaja has been chosen this year as the recipient of the Danish newspaper Politiken’s annual Freedom Award

The former Head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and partner of IMS, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja will receive the Danish newspaper Politiken’s annual Freedom Award for his courageous and persistent struggle to imporve the situation of  human rights in Bahrain.

Al-khawaja was given a life sentence earlier this year after being convicted of “plotting to overthrow the regime” and remains in prison in the capital Manama alongside a number of other human rights activists such as Nabeel Rajeeb, also from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Since both Abdulahadi al-Khawaja and Nabeel Rajeeb were arrested, IMS and a number of organisations have been advocating for his release.

Abdulahdi al-Khawaja’s daughter Maryam al-khawaja, herself a prominent human rights activist, will receive the award on his behalf at an event in Politikens Hus, Copenhagen on Monday, 29 October.

More about the event and tickets here.