Freedom House Announces 2024 Award Recipients and Michael J. Abramowitz Fund for Freedom in the World

WASHINGTON-Freedom House recognized the imprisoned Chinese prodemocracy activist Dr. Wang Bingzhang with its 2024 Freedom Award, and the team leading Operation Nica Welcome, the US government-led effort that reunited more than 200 Nicaraguan political prisoners with their loved ones, with its 2024 Mark Palmer Prize. Freedom House also announced the launch of the Michael J. Abramowitz Fund for Freedom in the World, which will help the report reach more people, advance policies to strengthen democracy, and continue identifying emerging threats to freedom.The award recipients and Abramowitz were honored at Freedom House's Annual Awardsin Washington, DC, last night.

2024 Freedom Award Winner: Dr. Wang Bingzhang

Dr. Wang Bingzhang is a Chinese prodemocracy activist unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party since 2002. Wang, one of the first Chinese nationals to earn a doctorate overseas, set aside a medical career to focus on advocating for democratic reform in his native country. He started an influential magazine, China Spring, and cofounded several Chinese political partiesfocused on affecting democraticchange in China, including the Chinese Democracy Justice Party. In June 2002, Wang was abducted by Chinese secret police while visiting Vietnam. He was subsequently detained and sentenced to life in prison under phony charges of espionage and terrorism after a secret trial lasting less than one day. Even from behind bars, Wang's work and example has served as an inspiration for prodemocracy advocates and human rights defenders in China and around the world. Wang's daughter, Ti-Anna, accepted the Freedom Award on behalf of her father.

"Dr. Wang Bingzhang is a tireless advocate for democracy in China who has been imprisoned for more than two decades," said Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House. "His dream that China will one day be free to elect leaders dedicated to human rights and governed by the rule of law remains a North Star and continues to inspire. The international community must do more to secure his release-and the release of all those that have been unjustly imprisoned for their political beliefs around the world, so they know we have not forgotten them and will never give up on them."

The Freedom Award was started in 1943 to recognize outstanding leaders in the cause of freedom and democracy. Past recipientsinclude the women of Iran; His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Václav Havel, the playwright, dissident, and first postcommunistpresident of Czechoslovakia; Saudi activist Hala al-Dosari; journalist Edward R. Murrow; Uyghur activist Ilham Tohti; and Pablo Casals, the musician and opponent of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

2024 Mark Palmer Prize Winner: Operation Nica Welcome

On February 9, 2023, 222 political prisoners-including journalists, politicians, clergy, and students-were released from Nicaragua to the United States. This was the culmination of Operation Nica Welcome, led by public servants and diplomats at the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The effort involved more than 350 officials from the US government, the state of Virginia, and nongovernmental organizations that worked around the clock to reunite political prisoners with their loved ones. Upon their arrival, a nearby hotel ballroom was turned into a processing center, and the prisoners were provided with all the services needed to acquire relevant paperwork, documentation, and initial medical care. Within six days, all 222 prisoners had been processed and were on their way to begin new lives in 25 states across the country. Accepting the award on behalf of Operation Nica Welcome were Ambassador Kevin Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Marta Costanzo Youth, Deputy Assistant Secretary Enrique Roig, and former USAID Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean Ms. Marcela Escobari.

"The extraordinary efforts the State Department, USAID, and officials scattered across other US agencies stand as a triumph of diplomacy and will forever be remembered by the 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners freed that day," said Abramowitz. "Freedom House is honored to recognize the committed public servants and skilled officials that worked behind the scenes to make the dream of freeing these political prisoners and reuniting them with loved ones a reality. All those involved in Operation Nica Welcome stand as a testament to the enduring legacy of Ambassador Mark Palmer, taking bold steps beyond their normal course of duties to advance human rights and support frontline defenders of democracy."

The Mark Palmer Prize was established in 2011 to honor diplomats and civil servants whose work has advanced democracy and human rights. The award was inspired by the late US ambassador to Hungary Mark Palmer, who devoted his life to advancing democratic transitions in Hungary and in closed societies globally. Past winners include Michael McCarthy, former US ambassador to Liberia; Emine Dzhaparova, first deputy foreign minister of Ukraine; Linas Linkevičius, former Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs; and Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister of Canada. The prize is made possible through the generosity of the Mark and Sushma Palmer Legacy Fund, established by Sushma Palmer in loving memory of her late husband, Ambassador Mark Palmer.

The Michael J. Abramowitz Fund for Freedom in the World

Last month, Freedom House announced that after more than seven years of distinguished service, its president, Michael J. Abramowitz, will leave the organization to lead Voice of America. To honor Abramowitz's tremendous legacy, last night the Freedom House Board of Trustees announced the creation of the Michael J. Abramowitz Fund for Freedom in the World. The Abramowitz Fund will ensure the vitality of this essential resource, helping the report reach more people, advance policies to strengthen democracy, and identify evolving threats to freedom.

Freedom in the Worldis a yearly annual analysis of political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories around the globe. With its 51st edition released in 2024, the report has been cited in speeches by heads of state, members of Congress, and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. The report is found in high school classrooms and university seminars, helping to shape the next generation of democratic citizens. Its analysis guides consequential decisions, such as which countries are democratic enough to qualify for US government assistance, and where many financial firms and multinational corporations invest.

Contributions to the Abramowitz Fund can be made by contacting Brian Hill, vice president of development, at [email protected], or online at this link.

Freedom House is grateful to the Event Underwriter of the 2024 Annual Awards, Miles Taylor & Hannah Hummelberg; and Freedom Supporters Aegon-Transamerica, Thomas & Susana Kahn, Nonie & Andrew Prozes, and Karen & Norman Willox, for their support.

Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy's defenders.

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