Raji Sourani Director, Palestinian Center for Human Right

Raji Sourani has dedicated his professional career to promoting and protecting human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Since becoming a qualified lawyer in 1977, he has represented numerous victims of human rights abuses, despite enduring personal and professional sacrifices.

Raji has received many honors, including the Right Livelihood Award (2013), France’s National Order of Merit (2021), and the Honorary Human Rights Award by the Association for Human Rights of Spain (2022). In 2022, he was appointed as an Arbitrator at the International Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Netherlands. He has also been awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial for Human Rights (1991), the Bruno Kreisky Prize (2002), and the International Service Human Rights Award (2003).

Since 2015, Raji has served as counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and led the Palestinian legal team representing victims at the ICC. In 2024, he joined South Africa’s legal team in the Genocide Case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Despite imprisonment, harassment, and threats, Raji founded and leads the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, providing legal services and advocating for justice for victims in Gaza. His unwavering commitment to human rights remains a driving force in his work.