Martin Ennals Award Patrons

Werner Lottje (1946-2004)

Werner Lottje was one of the founders of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. As a committed human rights lawyer he headed the Human Rights department at Diakonie Germany for most of his life and in this way supported the victims of human rights violations and promoted democratic structures and the rule of law in developing countries. Countless people have Werner Lottje to thank for their life. He also worked tirelessly to strengthen Europe’s institutions to transform violent conflicts worldwide. He played a major role in the founding of the European Platform on Conflict Prevention, the Human Rights Forum in Germany and the German Institute for Human Rights.