Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Ezidi human rights activist Nadia Murad has received the Legion of Honour from French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Murad shared the news in an Instagram post, where she described the recognition as deeply meaningful and praised France for its longstanding support for survivors.
“France has always held a special place in my heart,” Murad wrote. She said France is a country that has chosen “to stand with survivors, to listen when it matters most, and to act when doing so is not easy.”
Murad used the moment to highlight the importance of listening to those who have endured violence and injustice. “In a world where too many people feel unheard, true leadership is measured by the willingness to listen; not only to power, but to pain,” she stated.
She also praised the French president directly. President Macron, Murad said, has shown “what it means to lead with conviction and humanity.”
Murad made clear that the honour was not only a personal recognition, but also a tribute to survivors everywhere. “This recognition is not mine alone,” she wrote. “It belongs to every survivor who refused to stay silent and to every woman and girl who continues to speak, even when the world is not yet ready to listen.”
For Ezidis, Murad remains one of the most important international voices for justice, accountability and recognition after the genocide committed against the Ezidi people in Iraq.
About the Legion of Honour
The Legion of Honour is France’s highest national award. It was created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Although Nadia Murad is not French, France can also give the award to foreign figures whose work has had major international importance. She received it in recognition of her global human rights advocacy and her fight for survivors.
