Country of Origin: Egypt

Main focus: Human Rights Activism, Fair Elections, Freedom of Speech

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Neven Melek is an Egyptian lawyer, Human Rights activist, and a freelance writer. She is well known for her principled stances on human rights and has defended Egyptians' rights to protest peacefully. Before her social work, she was a humanitarian and community worker with organizations, including the Association of Coptic Love and Peace in Egypt. She was an active human rights activist, a lawyer, and a member of the Lawyers Association in Egypt.

With the outbreak of the Egyptian popular uprising in 2011, and then the targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, and other civil society actors for their legitimate and peaceful defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Neven faced numerous threats against her life and livelihood. She was forced to flee Egypt in 2013 and cannot return under penalty of imprisonment and a sentence of hard labour.

Neven is a vocal advocate for fair elections, the right to freedom of speech, and human rights. She has been featured on various international platforms such as Al-Jazeera, BBC, and France24. She continues to write about human rights issues on a range of international platforms and works with organizations such as the Rural Media Network Pakistan, Freedom of Expression, and UNESCO: Safety of Journalist Section.

Read Neven’s Blog: Coping with Loss and Challenging Life Transitions: An Exploration of Personal Experiences and Coping Strategies