Thulani Maseko Justice Prize

Celebrating brave human rights lawyers who at great personal risk oppose dictatorship.

The Prize

The Thulani Maseko Justice Prize, an initiative of the Human Rights Foundation in partnership with the Thulani Maseko Foundation, recognizes courageous human rights lawyers who risk, or have risked, their lives and freedom to defend the rule of law and democracy in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. The Prize honors the legacy of Thulani Maseko, a renowned Swazi human rights lawyer and democracy advocate.

Who is Thulani Maseko?

Maseko Prize - Thulani Maseko

The late Thulani Maseko was a courageous attorney who pioneered public interest, human rights, and constitutional litigation in the small, repressive mountain kingdom of Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarchy. He dedicated his career to ensuring that dissidents and ordinary citizens caught in the kingdom’s unfair justice system have adequate legal representation and a fair trial. He also spearheaded strategic litigation challenging repressive laws and sweeping royal decrees and mobilized other lawyers to defend the rule of law. Maseko was also a pro-democracy champion and corralled a coalition of church, political, and civil society groups to push for a peaceful, negotiated transition to democracy with the monarchy. Maseko endured threats, intimidation, and imprisonment until he was assassinated on Jan. 21, 2023, just hours after King Mswati III publicly threatened deadly violence against those who opposed his absolute rule.

Oslo Freedom Forum
For more than twenty years, my friend Thulani was a leading attorney championing human rights. He embodied the peaceful struggle for democratic reform in Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
Thor Halvorssen
Thor Halvorssen
HRF Chief Executive
Oslo Freedom Forum

Laureates

2024

Alexey Navalny

Alexei Navalny

Leader of the Russian democratic opposition

2025

“We can never stop the campaign for democracy… human rights, democracy and rule of law in this country. It is the one thing that we can’t afford to give up on.”

Thulani Maseko

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