Once called ‘a marathon runner for human rights’, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee was founded in 1977 to monitor compliance with the Helsinki Accords.
The Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award, established in 1980 by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), honors individuals or organizations defending human rights, often while resisting state oppression. Aimed at the time to keep the public’s focus on the fate of the exiled Soviet dissident, the Award (distinct from the European Parliament’s Sakharov’s Freedom of Thought Prize) became the first prize named after Andrei Sakharov.
Recent laureates include the Ukrainian organization Truth Hounds (2023) and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (2019), continuing a tradition supporting those targeted for their beliefs.
Other laureates include Sergey Kovalev, Svetlana Gannushkina, Lilia Shibanova, Novaya Gazeta, and Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
In 2025 the Norwegian Helsinki Committee was labelled an undesirable organisation in Russia.
Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs pictured at the 2019 awards ceremony.