The laureates

Description

As a Bangladeshi human rights defender and lawyer, Shahanur Islam defends the rights of ethnic, religious, social and sexual minorities as well as victims of torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and organized violence. He has many years of experience in the fields of human rights, criminal justice and advocacy, both nationally and internationally. Shahanur is the founder of JusticeMakers Bangladesh and the first human rights defender in his country to bring criminal cases against the Rapid Action Battalion and the military for torture and murder. The awardee has also intervened in the European and Dutch Parliaments for constitutional recognition of LGBTQI+ people in Bangladesh. He has been subjected to repeated death threats, intimidation, and physical attacks because of his activism.