2026 Graciela Fernández Meijide Award – Call for Nominations

In its fourth edition, the award will seek to honour individuals who are imprisoned for political reasons in authoritarian contexts anywhere in the world and whose cases lack significant international visibility.

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On International Human Rights Day, CADAL announces the call for nominations for the 2026 Graciela Fernández Meijide Award. The purpose of the award is to recognise activism in defence of human rights under authoritarian regimes or in contexts where civil and political liberties are restricted, and where, according to reports from reputable international organisations, activism poses risks to personal freedom and even to life.

In its fourth edition, the award will seek to honour individuals who are imprisoned for political reasons anywhere in the world and whose cases lack significant international visibility.

Nominations may be submitted by individuals or organisations, whether legally incorporated or not.

The jury responsible for selecting and granting the award will be composed of Rubén Chababo, Vicente Palermo, Inés Pousadela, and Eduardo Ulibarri.

The award will consist of a commemorative plaque, advocacy initiatives, and a social media campaign to raise awareness of the situation of the winning political prisoner and the demand for their release.

The award ceremony will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 23 August 2026, during the annual conference on Memory, Human Rights, and International Democratic Solidarity, held on the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarianism. Arrangements will be made with a family member or close associate of the awarded political prisoner to determine who will receive the plaque on their behalf.

Selection Criteria

The jury will take the following criteria into account when granting the award:

• The significance of the nominee’s struggle and the impact of their actions.
• The peaceful nature of their work in defence of human rights.
• The reason for their imprisonment, which must involve charges that violate internationally accepted human rights standards.
• The potential benefits of increasing visibility of their case to support calls for their release.

Terms and Conditions

• Nominees must be individuals who are currently imprisoned for political reasons in authoritarian contexts anywhere in the world.
• Nominations with incomplete information will not be considered.
• The deadline for submitting nominations is 31 January 2026. For any questions or enquiries, please write to: premiogfm@cadal.org

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