Amnesty International Australia’s annual Human Rights Defender Awards Ceremony will take place on 10 December 2025, World Human Rights Day, in Sydney.
The Awards recognise excellence in human rights journalism and honour the extraordinary resilience, bravery and determination of journalists working in the most dangerous and life-threatening conditions.
This year’s recipient is Wael Al-Dahdouh, veteran Palestinian journalist and Al Jazeera’s Gaza Bureau Chief. With more than 28 years of experience covering Gaza and the broader Occupied Palestinian Territory, he is widely respected for his unwavering courage and fearless reporting. Despite the targeted killing of many of his family members and colleagues during Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Wael continued to report from Gaza live, earning him the title “the Mountain of Gaza” by many Palestinians. The award acknowledges the impact of his commitment to documenting war crimes and recognises his extraordinary steadfastness and courage.
Amnesty International Australia will also commemorate Anas al-Sharif, the 2024 Human Rights Defender Award recipient, who was killed by Israeli forces on 10 August 2025 after continued threats for his journalism.
Wael Al-Dahdouh says:
“I consider this award, like all other honours and recognitions, as a tribute to our role as journalists — to our professionalism and objectivity — despite the heavy price we have paid. It is also a tribute to those who gave their lives for the truth and for the noble humanitarian mission, whether they were colleagues, family members, or loved ones. And it is a tribute to those who still carry on this mission under unimaginable circumstances inside the Gaza Strip.
“I consider this award, like all other honours and recognitions, as a tribute to our role as journalists — to our professionalism and objectivity — despite the heavy price we have paid.”
Wael Al-Dahdouh
“Sadly, while journalists around the world receive such awards and honours at occasions that are, for the most part, joyful, for us these moments are always tied to events marked by bloodshed, loss, and pain that will accompany us for the rest of our lives.
“Yet, these occasions remain deeply appreciated and warmly welcomed. They reassure us that our efforts and sacrifices have not been in vain — that we are not alone — and that there are people who have heard our message, our news, and our story. They also give us hope that the stories of those who have fallen among our journalists and loved ones, and of those who have been injured or displaced, will remain alive — pursuing the criminals, placing them in the dock of justice, and holding them accountable — so that the killing and genocide may end, and so that freedom of opinion and expression may prevail, along with humanity’s right to knowledge.”
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson, said:
“Palestinian journalists in Gaza are working in the most dangerous conditions on Earth, with over 270 journalists having paid the ultimate price, with their lives. These journalists have been courageously working at great risk as a duty to their people to show the world inside Gaza and help demand accountability for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
“Amnesty International’s research around the world is often supported by the work of journalists. Each attack on a journalist is an attack on the press, freedom and the truth. Journalists are not, and should never be, a target.”
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson
“Amnesty International’s research around the world is often supported by the work of journalists. Each attack on a journalist is an attack on the press, freedom and the truth. Journalists are not, and should never be, a target.
“We are proud to honour Wael al-Dahdouh for his for his lifelong work reporting from Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He has fearlessly exposed the brutality of Israel’s genocide, unlawful military occupation, apartheid regime and its deliberate strategy of targeting and silencing journalists and their families, despite his immense personal loss.”
Background on Recipient: Wael Al-Dahdouh
Wael Al-Dahdouh has endured profound personal tragedy since the beginning of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, all while continuing his courageous reporting.
His wife, eight-month-old grandson, seven-year-old daughter, 16-year-old son and nine other relatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat Refugee Camp on 25 October 2023. Despite the devastating loss, he continued to report live on air the next day.
On 15 December 2023, Wael and his cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa were hit by an Israeli missile while reporting near Haifa School in Khan Younis, seriously injuring Wael and killing Samer.
In January 2024, Wael was again wounded in an Israeli drone strike. Months later, his eldest son Hamza, also a journalist with Al Jazeera, was killed alongside colleague Mustafa Thurayya while covering an Israeli airstrike in Rafah.
His work has remained critical in exposing the atrocities in Gaza and ensuring the world sees the brutal conditions civilians endure.
Throughout his career, Wael has received numerous accolades, including the National Press Club in Washington DC’s highest honour, the Courage Award from Reporters Without Borders, and Amnesty International UK’s Media Award.
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