On December 7, 2022, the Lantos Foundation awarded its 14th Lantos Human Rights Prize to professional basketball player turned human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom in Washington, DC. He has earned recognition – including praise from the human rights community and loathing from authoritarian regimes – due to his outspoken advocacy in defense of fundamental human rights and his pointed criticism of dictators.

Mr. Kanter Freedom, who added the surname “Freedom” upon becoming an American citizen in 2021, was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents. He has played for five NBA teams and represented Turkey as a member of its national team from 2008 to 2015. But he has paid a high price for his activism. Turkey revoked his citizenship in 2017, and the Turkish government has targeted his friends and family. China retaliated against his outspoken advocacy by censoring the games of his then-NBA team, the Celtics. His professional basketball career has hit repeated roadblocks, as the NBA has shown itself more willing to bend to China’s will and spending power than to stand by an athlete who calls out the human rights abuses happening in that country.

In an era where professional athletes live in fear of saying the wrong thing and losing coveted sponsor contracts or their spot on the roster, Mr. Kanter Freedom is the rare athlete who has used his platform and influence to stand up – and stand tall – for the causes he cares about, even when it puts him in the crosshairs of brutal regimes and cowardly sports franchises.