This week, Tom is speaking to Roberto González, Chief Advocacy Officer from the Human Rights Foundation about a very special prize which celebrates the work of human rights lawyers working in countries under authoritarian rule.

On October 15th, the international human rights community will gather in The Hague to celebrate the work of Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is the recipient of the Thulani Maseko Justice Prize 2026.

This is the fourth edition of the Prize, which was created by the Human Rights Foundation in partnership with the Thulani Maseko Foundation.

The Prize honours the memory of Thulani Maseko, who was assassinated in his home country of Eswatini in 2023. Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) is a small kingdom in Southern Africa, and is one of the last 'absolute monarchies' in the world. Its King, Mswati III, has been in power for more than 40 years, and his regime is widely believed to have orchestrated the assassination.

Both Nasrin and Thulani epitomise the work done 'behind the scenes' by legal professionals - who often find themselves in even greater danger than the public figures they are representing.

Find out more about Nasrin's work - and the Thulani Maseko Justice Prize - at https://hrf.org/latest/announcing-the-2026-thulani-maseko-justice-prize-laureate/

Stories of Purpose is produced by The City of the Hague, and the Hague and Partners. Visit the website at https://thehague.com/newsroom/en for more news about some of the amazing organizations working in the international city of Peace and Justice.

Theme music: Dreams by the Sea by Black Rhomb.