Aaron Walawalkar is a reporter at Liberty Investigates, part of the UK human rights organization Liberty. Since May 2024, he has led an investigation into the repression of pro-Palestine student activism on UK campuses. His reporting has exposed cases of universities calling the police on non-violent protests, resulting in clashes and students being convicted of aggravated trespass. Other findings include revealing how one in four UK universities have launched disciplinary investigations into pro-Gaza activists, and how universities have offered to monitor student protesters on behalf of weapons firms. This work was shortlisted for the prestigious Paul Foot Award 2025.

Aaron will investigate the systemic conditions driving this worsening crackdown. This project will culminate in the creation of a website containing an interactive map displaying all evidence of repression driven by private firms, along with resources to empower those affected and other changemakers to stand up for their protest rights.

Ala Qandil is a Polish-Palestinian reporter, social justice activist and humanitarian practitioner. She has over a decade of experience working on stories of resilience and resistance across Occupied Palestine, Greece, the Balkan migration route, the Turkish-Syrian border and the Polish-Belarusian border. Her work focuses on human rights, displacement, seeking justice and empowering marginalized communities. As the founder of Polish-Palestinian Justice Initiative KAKTUS, she leads strategy, research and advocacy, supporting litigation and documenting rights violations against the Palestinian people. A long-time journalist published in leading Polish and international media, Ala is also a documentary co-director whose award-winning storytelling has informed public debate and advanced accountability efforts for Gaza.

Ala will focus on advancing justice for survivors of the Gaza genocide and challenging the complicity of the Polish arms industry in crimes against Palestinians. Her work will include supporting litigation, expanding survivor participation and publishing a case study outlining legal strategies strengthening democratic accountability and confronting rising militarism in Poland.

Emmanuel Mutaizibwa is a journalist and lawyer by profession whose work straddles journalism and legal research. He has previously worked as the Politics and Investigations Editor at Nation Media Group in Uganda where he extensively reported stories on the Great Lakes region. He is currently the managing editor at the East Africa Centre for Investigative Reporting, a non-profit media organization.

His articles and films have appeared in South Africa’s Sunday Times, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, Zam Magazine, The Guardian newspaper, Al-Jazeera Television, Vice Media Group, TRT World, among others.

Gaia Caramazza is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist who reports stories of politics, identity and resistance. She was inspired to become a reporter growing up in Tunisia during the Arab Spring and is currently based between Rome and New York City. Her work has appeared across print, audio and TV in The Guardian, Al Jazeera English and the BBC World Service. A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School and a Pulitzer Center reporting fellow, Gaia is committed to making films challenging dominant narratives with nuance and empathy.

Gaia will complete her documentary examining how student journalists at Columbia University in New York City challenged mainstream media narratives surrounding the 2024 student protests against the genocide in Gaza. Filmed over months of on-the-ground reporting, the project captures a rare inside look at the encampment through the eyes of young reporters who refuse to let their stories be distorted. Her work will bring this urgent story to wider audiences at a pivotal moment for press freedom and shrinking democratic rights.

Giacomo Zandonini is a Rome-based investigative journalist reporting on how European policies shape communities and civil liberties. Over the past five years, his investigations have helped expose key aspects of the EU’s expanding surveillance apparatus. He combines diverse methodologies to craft narrative long-form stories and features published by major media outlets across Europe and beyond. He is also a co-founder of Fada Collective, an Italian nonprofit advancing public-interest journalism.

Giacomo will conduct in-depth research into how surveillance technologies affect the right to protest and, more broadly, fundamental rights across the European Union. Grounded in close engagement with affected communities, researchers and civil society organizations, his work will investigate corporate structures, lobbying activities and public procurement processes. By connecting these elements and uncovering new information, the project aims to strengthen public understanding of the forces shaping European surveillance practices. Ultimately, Giacomo’s research seeks to foster accountability, protect civic space and support more informed public participation.

Greg Constantine is an American/Canadian documentary photojournalist, author and visual storyteller. He has dedicated his career to long-term, independent projects that explore themes of human rights, inequality, citizenship, identity, genocide and the power of the state. His award-winning projects include: Nowhere People, Exiled To Nowhere: Burma’s Rohingya, Kenya’s Nubians and Ek Khaale: Once Upon A Time. He is the author of three photography books and exhibited his work in over forty cities. He has spent years documenting the use of immigration detention in several countries around the world for his project “Seven Doors”.

Greg will expand his work documenting the scale and scope of the US immigration detention system. His work will investigate and visualize the entangled relationship between detention, policy and the economic interests of local governments and profit-driven corporate America and how it impacts individuals, families and communities across the country.

Judith Nansubuga is a dedicated human rights and environmental justice advocate. Since qualifying as a lawyer, she has applied her legal expertise and experience working with communities. She is passionate about inspiring youth engagement and equipping marginalized groups with tools to defend their rights and environment, driving meaningful change from the local to the international level.

Judith will implement a legal program in Busia’s Mawero community to support residents to address human rights and environmental issues. She will establish a clear complaint management strategy for local grievance committees to address their concerns about the Wagagai Gold Mining Company. She will document human rights and environmental issues, leveraging partnerships and the media to amplify affected communities’ voices. A core part of her work will be creating a legal toolkit, giving residents the knowledge and procedures to effectively seek remedies for violations and degradation.

Menna Hijazi is a Palestinian investigative journalist, filmmaker and legal researcher from Gaza, now based in the UK. She specializes in the intersection of international law, human rights and storytelling that serves the public interest. Her background is in law, political science and communications across Palestine, the US and the UK. She’s contributed to investigations with the BBC, Channel 4 and worked alongside organizations including ICJP, UN and EU-funded programs. Her work centers on accountability in conflict, civilian protection and ensuring people are heard.

During her Fellowship year, Menna will investigate how UK public and private sectors impact civilian populations in conflict zones. She’ll combine legal research, investigative filmmaking and policy analysis to create evidence-based work that can inform both advocacy efforts and public understanding. The project aims to push for greater transparency and accountability where it matters most. She will sharpen her investigative practice and build meaningful cross-sector partnerships.