Chadian activist wins Martin Ennals Award

She won the award along with jailed Kashmiri rights activist Khurram Parvez and Feliciano Reyna, a rights activist from Venezuela.

“The common denominator between the 2023 Laureates… is their courage, passion, and determination to bring the voice of the voiceless to the international arena, despite the ongoing, sometimes life-threatening, challenges they endure,” the award’s jury chair Hans Thoolen said in a statement

Delphine Djiraibé is one of the first female lawyers in her country.

For over 30 years, she challenged the authorities to secure basic rights for all Chadians, including the right to life, justice, freedom of opinion, food, education and health, a statement by the organisers said.

It said Ms Djiraibé is renowned for initiating the prosecution of Chad’s former dictator, Hissène Habré, who was convicted for war crimes after 14 long years in 2016.

The Martin Ennals Award is named after the late British lawyer who became the first head of the human rights organisation, Amnesty International.