Photo: Eron Kiiza

The motivation for the 2026 grant is:

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Eron Kiiza, one of the founders of the law firm Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates in Uganda, has handled a number of high-profile legal cases. He has represented students at the Makerere university, devoted himself to the liberation of the HR-lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, served as legal counsel for the author Kakwnza Rukirabashaija and acted as public defender for the leader of the Opposition and previous presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, for whom Amnesty International issued an ”urgent action” in 2026. When Kiiza in January 2025, requested access to Besigye, he was charged with ”contempt of court” by a military tribunal and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, during which he was subjected to physical abuse. However he was relesed on bail after some months.

 

Kiiza leads the Environmental Shield Limited, a NGO movement focused on climate, environment and natural resources, and is a member of institutions with similiar aims, such as the Environmental Shield Law Society and East Africa Law Society. Among other efforts, Kiiza is working to rescue the Bugoma-forest in western Uganda, one of many tropical rainforests threatened  by modern colonialism through illegal felling and mining.

 

According to its statutes, the Anna Dahlbäck Memorial Foundation awards scholarships to individuals – primarily lawyers and legal professionals – ”who contribute to human rights in the spirit of Anna Dahlbäck ” and ”who, in doing so, have demonstrated significant commitment and courage”. The board has found thar Eron Kiiza more than fulfills these criteria.

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