Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima's recognition as the 11th Panchen Lama at age six was a moment of profound spiritual significance for Tibetans. His abduction just three days later turned him into a global symbol of religious persecution. The 2025 Democracy Service Medal from the National Endowment for Democracy is a rare honour for someone who has been silenced for over three decades. His case has united international human rights organizations, governments, and Tibetan exiles in a sustained call for his release.

AwardsIn November 2025, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was named the recipient of the National Endowment for Democracy's Democracy Service Medal, recognizing his case as emblematic of the struggle for democracy and human rights. He has also been named a "Religious Prisoner of Conscience" by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Honours & Distinctions

Religious Prisoner of Conscience

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom·2026

Listed in the FORB victims database

Democracy Service Medal

National Endowment for Democracy·2025

Awarded for symbolizing the struggle for democracy and human rights

Records & Feats

World's youngest political prisoner

Historic First·1995

Abducted at age six and held incommunicado for over three decades