23rd Edition of the Prize

Maksim Znak (born 1981) is a Belarusian lawyer, writer and defender of the rule of law. He holds a PhD in Law from Belarusian State University and has worked in legal practice and academia. During the 2020 presidential campaign, he represented Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kalesnikava and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and co-founded the Coordination Council for a peaceful transfer of power. Arrested in September 2020, he was sentenced to ten years in prison and held incommunicado for more than 1,000 days. While imprisoned, he wrote Zekamerone, a collection of 100 stories published in six languages. Released in a prisoner exchange in December 2025 and forcibly deported, he now lives in Warsaw.

Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo (Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo) is an Argentine human rights organisation founded in 1977 to find children kidnapped or born in captivity during Argentina’s 1976–1983 military dictatorship and restore their identities. The organisation pioneered the use of genetic testing to identify missing children and helped establish Argentina’s National Genetic Data Bank. By July 2023, its efforts had led to the identification of 133 grandchildren. The Grandmothers have also supported legal proceedings against those responsible for forced disappearances and illegal adoptions. In 2011, the organisation received the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in recognition of its defence of human rights.

Helge Lunde (born 1961) is a Norwegian cultural activist and the Executive Director of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). From 1998 to 2005, he directed Kapittel, the Stavanger International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech, while coordinating support for persecuted writers. In 2006, he co-founded ICORN and became its first Executive Director, a position he continues to hold. Under his leadership, the network has grown to include more than 90 cities worldwide. His work highlights the role of cities in protecting democracy, human rights and freedom of expression.