NOMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

The selection Committee has chosen Ms Virginia Laparra Rivas as the recipient of the 2025 Sir Henry Brooke award. The Committee was especially impressed by Ms Rivas’ long-term work against corruption and organised crime in Guatemala, which led to her imprisonment for “ongoing abuse of authority”, and dedicated commitment to upholding the rule of law.

The award will be presented by The Rt. Hon. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury at a ceremony in London in February 2025.

THE AWARD

The Sir Henry Brooke Award is the annual award made by the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk that aims to honour a legal practitioner or human rights defender who, through personal endeavour in the course of his or her practice in a challenging environment, made an outstanding contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights and the rule of law. Through the Award, the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk publicly celebrates the work and achievements of lawyers at risk and validates their essential and often invisible contribution to the defence of human rights. Former award winners include Adil José Meléndez Marquez, Donald Hernandez, Maricela Vazquez, Carla Palacios, Dina Meza, Reinaldo Villalba, Naomi Barasa and Daniel Prado. The Award is named after, and honours the life and legacy of, the late founder of the Alliance, Sir Henry Brooke. Sir Henry Brooke was a man of remarkable conviction, integrity and generosity whose life and career was characterised by his tireless commitment to justice, equality and human rights.