
Laureate 1996
Palermo Anno Uno
Standing up against the Mafia and organized crime
The Italian anti-mafia organisation Palermo Anno Uno was awarded the Rafto Prize in 1996.
With this award the Rafto Foundation wanted to draw the world's attention to human rights violations committed by private, international, organised crime organisations.
Palermo Anno Uno, an umbrella organisation for a number of NGOs opposing organised crime, was founded after the massive demonstrations all over Sicily, following the murder of Giovanni Falcone in May 1992.
Palermo Anno Uno has since shown how individuals together can stand up to the Mafia and other organised crime syndicates, and it has proven it is possible to fight against the atrocities of organised crime.
Other laureates

Laureate 2024
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
For his fearless resistance against an authoritarian regime through art

Laureate 2023
Defence for Children International-Palestine (DCIP)
Defending the rights of children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Laureate 2022
Nodjigoto Charbonnel
Fighting torture and defending the human rights of torture survivors

Laureate 2021
Human Rights Data Analysis Group
Seeking justice behind the numbers

Laureate 2020
Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
Bravely resisting Egypt´s state of fear

Laureate 2019
Rouba Mhaissen
Defending the human rights of people living as refugees

Laureate 2018
Ombudsman Adam Bodnar
Defending minorities rights and judicial independence

Laureate 2017
Parveena Ahangar & Parvez Imroz
Decades of campaigning for human rights in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir

Laureate 2016
Yanar Mohammed
Defender of women's rights in war-torn Iraq

Laureate 2015
Padre Melo
A fearless voice in a violent country

Laureate 2014
Agora - Pavel Chikov
Defender of the rule of law in Russia

Laureate 2013
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
The inconvenient demand for human rights in the Gulf

Laureate 2012
Nnimmo Bassey
Defender of victims of climate change

Laureate 2011
Sexual Minorities Uganda
Defender of LGBTI rights

Laureate 2010
José Raúl Vera López
Defender of the vulnerable and the rejected

Laureate 2009
Malahat Nasibova
The brave voice of Nakhchivan

Laureate 2008
Bulambo Lembelembe Josué
Bringing hope for the victims of war

Laureate 2007
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
Defenders of the downtrodden

Laureate 2006
Thích Quảng Độ
Peaceful oppositon against the communist regime

Laureate 2005
Lidia Yusupova
Defender of the forgotten victims of the war in Chechnya

Laureate 2004
Rebiya Kadeer
Defender of the repressed Uyghurs

Laureate 2003
Paulos Tesfagiorgis
Lifelong work for democracy in Eritrea

Laureate 2002
Sidi Mohammed Daddach
The Sahrawi people's struggle for self determination

Laureate 2001
Shirin Ebadi
Rights for women and children under the Islamic regime

Laureate 2000
Kim Dae-jung
Giving hope of re-conciliation with North Korea

Laureate 1999
Gennady Grushevoy
Protecting the victims of the Chernobyl disaster

Laureate 1998
ECPAT
Committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation of children

Laureate 1997
Ian Hancock
Advocate for the rights and dignity of the Romani

Laureate 1995
Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia
Working for peace on behalf of those forced to wage war

Laureate 1994
Leyla Zana
Peaceful struggle for the human rights of the Kurdish people

Laureate 1993
José Ramos-Horta
Promoting independence for the people of East Timor

Laureate 1992
Preah Maha Ghosananda
Leading role in reconciling a country torn by war

Laureate 1991
Yelena Bonner
Lifelong work for political and religious freedom in the Soviet Union

Laureate 1990
Aung San Suu Kyi
Leading the struggle for democracy in Burma

Laureate 1989
Doina Cornea
Writing for freedom in a communist dictatorship

Laureate 1989
FIDESZ - Péter Molnár
Founders of a democratic Hungary

Laureate 1988
Trivimi Velliste
Reviving the past to liberate the future

Laureate 1987
Jiří Hájek
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Prague Spring and brave spokesperson for civil rights