GUATEMALAN PROSECUTOR WINS 2025 SIR HENRY BROOKE AWARD FOR ‘COURAGEOUS’ ANTI-CORRUPTION WORK

Virginia Laparra Rivas accepted the award at a ceremony in London on Monday 3 February

“[This award] represents the recognition of all that those of us who believed in the fight against impunity and corruption have sacrificed” - Virginia Laparra

Top anti-corruption prosecutor and human rights defender Virginia Laparra has won the prestigious 2025 Sir Henry Brooke Award for her long-term work against corruption and organised crime in Guatemala and was presented with the award at a ceremony in London on 3 February 2025.

The Sir Henry Brooke Award is presented by the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk and is awarded annually to recognise a legal practitioner or human rights defender who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights.

Laparra, who is widely known in Guatemala as an ‘anti-mafia prosecutor’ due to her dedicated work in the fight against organised crime in the country, was arbitrarily detained for two years as part of a crackdown by ruling authorities against those exposing corruption. She has faced continuous harassment, intimidation, defamation and multiple unfounded criminal investigations as a result of her courageous work – including two criminal proceedings that are currently ongoing.

Laparra was nominated for the 2025 Sir Henry Brooke Award by the Fund for Global Human Rights, with recommendations from the American Bar Association and Amnesty International, which named Virginia Laparra a Prisoner of Conscience in 2022.

Virginia Laparra Rivas said:

“The Sir Henry Brooke Award represents the recognition of all that those of us who believed in a project of justice and the fight against impunity and corruption have sacrificed. Receiving this award is a way of appreciating all that we have left behind - our life project, our family, our land, and even our own profession. These are sacrifices we have made, not for ourselves, but for a greater cause - the opportunity to offer our country a future without the shadows of corruption, so that we can finally move forward as a nation towards development, respect, and justice. I loved being a prosecutor, the price has been very high, but without a doubt, I would do it again.”

Professor Christine Chinkin, chair of the judges’ panel for the Sir Henry Brooke Award, said:

“The judges selected Virginia Laparra Rivas out of a strong field of nominated candidates.  She is an extraordinarily brave and committed lawyer who as prosecutor fought against structural corruption and organised crime in Guatemala.  Despite imprisonment and exile, she continues her dedicated commitment to upholding the rule of law and provides inspiration to an oppressed population and to others who face persecution for their determination to root out endemic corruption and end impunity in Guatemala.”

Systematic pattern of criminalisation

The Fund for Global Human Rights and Amnesty International are deeply concerned about the systematic pattern of criminalisation imposed by the Guatemalan Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office against former judges, prosecutors, human rights defenders and journalists who have worked tirelessly for years to fight impunity and corruption in the country. Many are facing unfounded criminal proceedings, are denied due process of law guarantees, and have been forced into exile.

Ricardo González Bernal, Latin America program director at the Fund for Global Human Rights, said:

“Virginia Laparra Rivas is a pillar of the anti-corruption movement in Guatemala. Despite persistent and ongoing persecution, she has courageously continued to fight for the rule of law and the integrity of Guatemala’s institutions. We are immensely proud to support her work and congratulate her on this much-deserved recognition and achievement.”

Adeline Neau, Researcher for Central America at Amnesty International, said:

“We hope this award will shine a spotlight on the courageous work of Virginia Laparra Rivas as well as the many other lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders who put their life at risk every day to expose corruption and injustice in Guatemala. For too long, the Guatemalan authorities have operated a politically motivated persecution of those attempting to fight corruption and impunity. The baseless criminal proceedings against Laparra Rivas and all other human rights defenders must be dropped immediately.”

ENDS