Brito Fernando from Sri Lanka has been awarded the Per Anger Prize 2026 for his work seeking truth and justice for the tens of thousands of people who have disappeared involuntarily in Sri Lanka. 

According to Sweden’s civil rights watchdog, Civil Rights Defenders, the Per Anger Prize is the Swedish Government’s international prize for human rights and democracy.

Brito Fernando is the founder and chair of Families of the Disappeared (FoD), which represents more than 20,000 families across Sri Lanka. Since the late 1980s, he has campaigned to establish what happened to those who vanished during periods of political violence and civil war in the country, and to secure accountability and justice.

According to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), Sri Lanka has among the highest numbers of unresolved cases of enforced disappearance in the world. During various armed conflicts and the civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended in 2009, tens of thousands of people were taken by state actors, armed groups or paramilitary organisations. Most of these cases remain unresolved.

His work has entailed significant personal risk

In 2004, Brito Fernando founded FoD, which today is the only organisation in Sri Lanka working across all communities on the issue of disappearances. Various ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka have historically been pitted against each other. Even today, violence and discrimination against minority groups remain widespread.

Through his work, Brito Fernando has brought together families from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities across much of the country in a common fight for truth, justice and accountability.

Brito Fernando’s work has entailed significant personal risk. He has been detained and arrested on several occasions, questioned over alleged links to terrorism and had his home attacked. Despite this, he and the families in FoD continue their pursuit of truth and justice.

“The honour is not for me. This prize is for the families who have fought for more than 35 years without giving up. This is an encouragement for them”, says Brito Fernando.

The Jury’s Statement

“Brito Fernando has dedicated his life to advocating for the marginalised and seeking the truth about those who disappeared during Sri Lanka’s periods of political violence and civil war. In the spirit of Per Anger, without seeking personal gain or recognition, he courageously stands up for those whose voices are not heard. 

Brito Fernando works tirelessly to demand accountability and redress. He emphasises the importance of remembrance and reconciliation. At the risk of his own safety, he defends the idea of a society where justice applies to all, whilst building bridges between ethnic and religious groups in a country marked by deep divisions. 

It is therefore of particular significance that Brito Fernando is awarded the Per Anger Prize – a recognition of a lifelong commitment in the service of humanity.”

About the Per Anger Prize

The Swedish Government’s international prize for human rights and democracy was established in 2004 and is awarded annually by the Living History Forum. It is presented to a person or organisation that has made significant humanitarian and pro-democracy contributions in their home country. The prize is named after diplomat Per Anger, who worked in Budapest during the Second World War and helped save Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust.

The nominating organisations are Act Svenska kyrkan, Afrikagrupperna, Amnesty International Sweden, Civil Rights Defenders, Diakonia, Human Rights Watch, Kvinna till Kvinna, RFSL, UNICEF Sweden, and We Effect. This year, Diakonia nominated the prize winner, Brito Fernando. (Civil Rights Defenders- Sweden)

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Swedish national, V. P. Nackholm, has contributed USD 33,000 to the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund’, established to support the recovery of affected communities and national reconstruction in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

According to the President’s Office, the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund continues to receive generous assistance from donors both locally and internationally.

The donation by Nackholm on Tuesday (16) was deposited directly into the Fund, and the relevant receipt was formally presented to the Secretary to the President, Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat. (Newswire)

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A special tourism promotional event, organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau, was held in Stockholm last week (13), showcasing the splendour and beauty of Sri Lanka.

According to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Sweden, the consumer promotion event on Saturday was the culmination of a major tourism promotional drive for the Nordic traveller through a week-long series of Road Show events in the four Nordic capitals; Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, and Stockholm, from 8 to 11 September, with the participation of top Sri Lankan travel trade brands. 

Over a hundred Swedish nationals attended the consumer promotions event in Stockholm. The event featured presentations, video screenings, Sri Lankan dances, etc., while Ceylon tea, Sri Lankan spices and handicrafts were on display.

Ambassador Kapila Fonseka, delivering the opening remarks, highlighted the security, peace, development and stability of the country, inviting Swedish travellers to explore Sri Lanka’s diversity and the rich cultural heritage.

A detailed presentation of what Sri Lanka has to offer as a tourism destination was presented to the attendees by Minister of the Embassy Udani Gunawardane, while the SriLankan Airlines representative in Sweden, Ahmed Saleh, introduced the national carrier and flight routes from the Nordics.

The prominent Swedish wildlife filmmaker Stefan Quinth highlighted the beauty of the Sri Lankan wildlife with a screening of short videos made in Sri Lanka by him. He later presented copies of his book about Sri Lanka, titled ‘Sri Lanka – Berättelser från min paradisö (Stories from my paradise island) to the participants.

Glittering performances of the Sri Lankan traditional and modern dances were presented by the Nrithya dance team, while Sri Lankan batik fashion designs were presented to the participants by Swedish models. A raffle draw was also held with exciting gifts of traditional Sri Lankan crafts for the participants. The event was concluded with authentic Sri Lankan refreshments and Ceylon tea. Sri Lanka tourism promotional materials were distributed to the participants. (Newswire)

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