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Nujeen Mustafa receives Polish foreign ministry's 'Pro Dignitate Humana' award

20.02.2026 14:40
Syrian refugee rights activist Nujeen Mustafa received the Polish foreign ministry's 2026 "Pro Dignitate Humana" award on Friday for her heroism and constant work for the cause of refugees and people with disabilities.
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Nujeen Mustafa (centre), her sister, and Polands Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski
Nujeen Mustafa (centre), her sister, and Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław SikorskiPhoto: PAP/Marcin Obara

The Pro Dignitate Humana award has been granted since 2011 by Poland's foreign minister to honour people and NGOs from around the world for their uncompromising actions in defence of the rights of those persecuted and exposed to repression, as well as for a steadfast stance in defence of individual rights and respect for human dignity.

This year the award was granted to Nujeen Mustafa, a wheelchair-bound Kurdish Syrian refugee and activist with cerebral palsy, who gained attention after travelling 5,600 km fleeing conflict in the Syrian Civil War, before arriving and resettling in Germany.

She used the press interest to become the voice of the displaced, especially those with disabilities.

In 2018, she was a part of the BBC's 100 Women series, and in 2019 she became the first disabled person to brief the United Nations Security Council.

She has co-authored two books about her experiences.

Marcin Matuszewski attended the Pro Dignitate Humana award ceremony at Poland's foreign ministry on Friday morning and filed this report.

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