Osman Kavala’s Acceptance Speech for the ‘2025 Prize for Freedom’ Awarded by Liberal International

Osman Kavala was awarded the 2025 Prize for Freedom by Liberal International in recognition of his longstanding contributions to human rights, pluralism, and democratic values. The award ceremony took place on 4 May in Berlin, in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. As Osman Kavala remains deprived of his liberty, the award was received on his behalf by his wife, Prof. Ayşe Buğra, who also delivered his acceptance speech. Below is the full text of Kavala’s speech:

Osman Kavala’s Acceptance Speech for the ‘2025 Prize for Freedom’ Awarded by Liberal International:

To receive the Prize for Freedom is a great honour for me. I thank Liberal International for their decision. This prize has become a source of strength and motivation for me.

We live in an international environment where human rights and individual liberties are threatened by authoritarian political regimes, which use polarizing discourses and strategies that stifle diversity and plurality in many societies. In the current dismal state of the world, it is easy to lose hope. But there are also certain recent developments which give me hope about future possibilities.

I am happy about the result of the last elections in Hungary. I thought that this could be interpreted as a positive sign indicating that it is possible to democratically change a political regime which does not respect civil liberties, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary.

I also find important the Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s speech at the last Davos meeting where he brought on the agenda the necessity of building a rule based international order that encompasses respect for human rights and the sovereignty of nation states. As Carney expressed, this would also be an international order promoting relations of solidarity and sustainable development.

I believe that a new political dynamic led by liberal values could make a better world possible. I also believe that the affirmation of liberal values would give more force to the norms of law stipulated in the European Convention of Human Rights and the implementing agencies of the Convention system. This would be important for the defence of civil rights and liberties in my country.

Osman Kavala
4 May 2026