Rosa María Payá and activists receive FAES Freedom Award in Madrid

Cuban dissident Rosa María Payá, Iranian activist Masih Alinejad, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, were awarded the 13th FAES Freedom Award in Madrid. The ceremony, led by the FAES Foundation and former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar, recognized the three women for their resistance against authoritarianism and their defense of human rights.

During the ceremony, Payá highlighted the humanitarian catastrophe in Cuba and expressed hope for imminent political change. Navalnaya drew parallels between the dictatorships in Russia, Cuba, and Iran, noting that while free societies vary, the nature of dictatorship remains consistent.

The award comes amid reports of rising political imprisonment in Cuba and precedes an upcoming UN General Assembly vote regarding the U.S. embargo on the island.