Bahrain Mirror: The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative announced on Thursday (September 21, 2023) that Bahraini prisoner of conscience and human rights defender, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, is among three exceptional individuals nominated to win the 2024 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.

Director of BIRD, Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, said in a tweet that "the initiative announced in its annual meeting in New York that one of the 2024 Aurora Humanitarians will be named the next Aurora Prize Laureate at a Ceremony to take place in Los Angeles, California in May 2024."

"The 2024 Aurora Prize Laureate will receive a US $1,000,000 award together with a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by helping people in need," the initiative added.

"We are delighted to announce the three exceptional individuals whom we have selected as the 2024 Aurora Humanitarians. They come from diverse backgrounds but are united by their commitment to serving humanity. They have each shown extraordinary courage and commitment in helping others in dangerous situations without regard to their own safety and well-being," said

Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, said that Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja (who holds the Danish citizenship) fearlessly defended the most vulnerable communities in Bahrain, especially those who have been subject to systemic violations of their human rights.

"Mr. Al-Khawaja has been arrested several times for this work, including in 2011, for peaceful protests during the Bahraini Uprising, which resulted in him being sentenced to life in prison by a military tribunal," she added.

Arabic Version