{{short description|Irish-based human rights organization}} {{No significant coverage|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox organization | name = Front Line Defenders | logo = Front line defenders.png | logo_size = 200px | type = Non-profit<br />NGO | founded = 2001 | location = Global<br />General secretariat at Temple Road, Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland | key_people = | fields = | services = Protecting human rights | num_members = | website = {{Official URL}} }}

'''Front Line Defenders''', or '''The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders''', is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect those who work non-violently to uphold the human rights of others as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

==History== The organisation was founded by Mary Lawlor, former director of the Irish Section of Amnesty International with a US$3 million donation from businessman and philanthropist Denis O'Brien. Front Line Defenders has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and has Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

In 2006 Front Line Defenders established a European Union office in Brussels.

Front Line Defenders received the King Baudouin International Development Prize in 2007 and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 2018. On 3 July 2014, Lawlor was presented with the Order of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by French Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Jean-Pierre Thebault, on behalf of the French government.

Front Line Defenders' overall goal is to enable human rights defenders, as key agents of social change, to continue their work without the risk of harassment, intimidation or arrest.

==Notable work== In October 2021, Front Line Defenders found evidence that various Palestinian citizens belonging to human rights groups which had been outlawed by Israel, had been targeted by spyware made by the Israeli technology company, NSO Group.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kingsley |first1=Patrick |last2=Bergman |first2=Ronen |title=Palestinians Were Targeted by Israeli Firm's Spyware, Experts Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/08/world/middleeast/nso-israel-palestinians-spyware.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=8 November 2021 |date=8 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Srivastava |first1=Mehul |title=EU-funded West Bank activists hacked by Pegasus spyware, says rights group |url=https://www.ft.com/content/fe1cf064-ccb0-4654-8395-8579aa18aa2a |website=Financial Times |access-date=8 November 2021 |date=8 November 2021}}</ref>

==Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk==

In 2005 this award was established, which according to the organisations website is awarded to a human rights defender "who through non-violent work, is courageously making an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves". The award brings international attention to its recipient's cause, and a {{currency|15000|EUR}} cash prize.<ref>[https://www.awid.org/get-involved/nomination-opens-2016-front-line-defenders-award Nomination opens for the 2016 Front Line Defenders Award] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019123236/https://www.awid.org/get-involved/nomination-opens-2016-front-line-defenders-award |date=2017-10-19 }}, ''Awid.org'', 20 January 2016</ref>

The recipients of this award since its inception are as follows:<ref name="award">{{cite web |url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/front-line-award-human-rights-defenders-risk |title=The Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk |access-date=2016-03-12 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215095906/https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/front-line-award-human-rights-defenders-risk |archive-date=15 February 2016 }} Front Line Defenders.</ref> *2005 – Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Sudan *2006 – Ahmadjan Madmarov, Uzbekistan *2007 – Gégé Katana, Democratic Republic of Congo *2008 – Anwar al-Bunni, Syria *2009 – Yuri Melini, Guatemala *2010 – Soraya Rahim Sobhrang, Afghanistan *2011 – Joint Mobile Group, Russian Federation *2012 – Razan Ghazzawi, Syria *2013 – Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritania *2014 – SAWERA – Society for Appraisal and Women Empowerment in Rural Areas, Pakistan *2015 – Guo Feixiong, pen name for Yang Maodong, China<ref name="Thoolen 2015">Thoolen, Hans (12 September 2015). [https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2015/09/12/2015-front-line-defenders-award-to-chinese-guo-feixiong-yang-maodong/ 2015 Front Line Defenders Award to Chinese Guo Feixiong (Yang Maodong)] ''Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders''. Retrieved 12 March 2016.</ref> *2016 – Ana Mirian Romero, Honduras<ref>{{in lang|es}} [https://www.efe.com/efe/america/portada/la-activista-hondurena-ana-mirian-romero-recibe-premio-front-line-defenders/20000064-2952119 La activista hondureña Ana Mirian Romero recibe premio "Front Line Defenders"], ''Efe.com'', 10 June 2016</ref> *2017 – Emil Kurbedinov, Crimea<ref>Sorcha Pollak, [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/crimean-tatar-lawyer-honoured-at-dublin-ceremony-1.3097614 Crimean Tatar lawyer honoured at Dublin ceremony], ''Irishtimes.com'', 26 May 2017</ref> *2018 – Nurcan Baysal, Turkey *2019 – Ibu Shinta Ratri, Indonesia<ref>2019. Shinta Ratri strives to give trans children a better future. Jakarta Post.</ref> *2020 – Africa: Mekfoula Mint Brahim, Mauritania; Americas: Guardia Indígena del Cauca, Colombia; Asia: Juwairiya Mohideen, Sri Lanka; Europe & Central Asia: Lara Aharonian, Armenia; Middle East & North Africa: Fatima Al-Bahadly, Iraq *2021 – Africa: Aminata Fabba, Sierra Leone; Americas: Camila Moradia, Brazil; Asia: Mother Nature Cambodia, Cambodia; Europe & Central Asia 1: Siarhei Drazdouski & Aleh Hrableuski, Belarus; Europe & Central Asia 2: Mamadou Ba, Portugal; Middle East & North Africa: Sami & Sameeha Huraini, Palestine *2022 – Liah Ghazanfar Jawad, Afghanistan; Ameira Osman Hamid, Sudan; Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Zimbabwe; Javier del Tránsito and María del Tránsito Salvatierra, Mexico; Volha Harbunova, Belarus<ref name="FrontLineDef_Harbunova_receives_award" /> *2023 - Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Segundo Ordóñez, Ecuador; Jeany 'Rose' Hayahay, Philippines; Digital Security Lab, Ukraine; Hala Ahed, Jordan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/2023-front-line-defenders-award-human-rights-defenders-risk|title=2023 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk|publisher=Front Line Defenders}}</ref> *2024 - Gamito dos Santos Carlos, Mozambique; Muñecas de Arcoíris (Rainbow Dolls), Honduras; Sammi Deen Baloch, Pakistan; Doros Polykarpou, Cyprus; We Are Not Numbers (WANN), Palestine<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/2024-front-line-defenders-award-human-rights-defenders-risk|title=2024 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk|publisher=Front Line Defenders}}</ref> *2025 - Luc Agblakou, Benin; The Movement for Human Rights, Peace and Global Justice (MONDHA), Dominican Republic and Haiti; Arnon Nampa, Thailand; Sharifa Madrakhimova, Uzbekistan; Mhamed Hali, Western Sahara<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/2025-front-line-defenders-award-human-rights-defenders-risk|title=2025 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk|publisher=Front Line Defenders}}</ref>

==See also== *List of human rights organisations

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="FrontLineDef_Harbunova_receives_award">{{cite web | title= Volha Harbunova of Belarus receives Front Line Defenders Award | website= Front Line Defenders |date = 2022-12-09 | url = https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/volha-harbunova-belarus-receives-front-line-defenders-award | access-date = 2023-01-05 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20221209173702/https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/volha-harbunova-belarus-receives-front-line-defenders-award |archive-date= 2022-12-09 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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==External links== <!-- per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only --> *{{Official website}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201700/https://www.ihrfg.org/funder-directory/front-line-international-foundation-protection-human-rights-defenders International Human Rights Funders Group]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Human rights organisations based in Ireland Category:Imprisonment and detention Category:Organizations established in 2001 Category:International human rights organizations