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Afghan activist Matiullah Wesa awarded France’s Freedom Prize 2026
Wesa is the founder of the Pen Path initiative and is widely known for campaigning in support of access to education, particularly for girls in Afghanistan.
Afghan education advocate Matiullah Wesa has been named the recipient of France’s Freedom Prize 2026, in recognition of his efforts to promote education and children’s rights in Afghanistan.
According to French media reports, Wesa was selected through an online vote involving 18,708 young people from 75 countries, highlighting strong international support for his advocacy work.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 4 in the city of Caen at the Zénith hall, where more than 4,000 young participants are expected to attend alongside several World War II veterans.
Wesa is the founder of the Pen Path initiative and is widely known for campaigning in support of access to education, particularly for girls in Afghanistan.
The Freedom Prize, established in 2019 by the Normandy Region and the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace, honours individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the defense of human freedoms.