Media contact:
Chelsea Hedquist
press@lantosfoundation.org
September 8, 2025 – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice today announced that it will award the 2025 Lantos Human Rights Prize to a pair of courageous mothers who became advocates on behalf of hostages and their families after experiencing the unimaginable loss of their own sons: Diane Foley, mother of journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS in 2014, and founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation; and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a civilian who was attending a music festival in Israel when he was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Ms. Goldberg-Polin will receive the Prize on behalf of the families of all those taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.
Although each of these women has a unique story, they share a courageous response to horrific personal tragedy. Both Ms. Foley and Ms. Goldberg-Polin have channeled their love and grief as mothers into fearless advocacy for hostages and the loved ones fighting for their freedom. Ms. Foley’s work over more than a decade has reshaped hostage advocacy and led to critical improvements to the United States’ approach to hostage affairs. In the past two years, Ms. Goldberg-Polin has been a leading voice among the families of the hostages held in Gaza, advocating relentlessly around the world for their release. She continued this advocacy even after learning of her own son’s brutal murder. Both women have also been fierce advocates for the human rights and dignity of journalists and civilians caught in deadly conflict zones.
Ms. Foley said, “Both of our sons were taken hostage and killed by terrorists. Tragically, we share a profound understanding that advocacy is essential – not only to securing the freedom of hostages, but also to ensuring their families are supported and governments are held accountable to their moral duty to protect their citizens. I am deeply humbled to receive this prestigious honor alongside Rachel Goldberg-Polin.”
“Representative Tom Lantos was a true inspiration to me during his service in the Bay Area, where our family was living when Hersh was born,” said Ms. Goldberg-Polin. “I have also been an admirer of the mighty Diane Foley and her fierce commitment to advocacy and justice for hostages and their families. To receive this esteemed prize with Ms. Foley is deeply moving for me and the hostage families who have loved ones still being held captive."
This year marks the 17th annual awarding of the Lantos Human Rights Prize, with former laureates including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the late Professor Elie Wiesel, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer, Yezidi parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong democracy movement leader Joshua Wong, founder of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign Bill Browder, renowned human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler, Russian democracy activist Evgenia Kara-Murza, and President-elect of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – among other notable figures. The 2025 recipients will be honored at a ceremony on November 12 in Washington, DC.
“We are humbled and honored to present the 2025 Lantos Prize to these two women, who stand as symbols of courage and empathy, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “They have endured the very worst nightmare of any mother. But instead of being consumed by grief or anger, they channeled their personal tragedy into unyielding advocacy – first on behalf of their sons and then on behalf of all those taken hostage and denied their freedom, as well as their families. They are the epitome of what it means to boldly defend human rights and human dignity for all. It is a privilege to recognize Diane Foley for the multitude of ways that she has paved the path for better hostage response and recovery. Likewise, we are deeply honored to award the Lantos Prize to Rachel Goldberg-Polin, on behalf of the hostage families that have demonstrated such unwavering strength and dedication over nearly two years of fighting for the return of their loved ones.”
Diane Foley founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation after the 2014 execution of her son, freelance journalist Jim Foley, by ISIS militants in Syria. Inspired by Jim’s moral courage, she launched the Foundation to advocate for the freedom of unjustly detained U.S. nationals and to promote journalist safety. As Foundation president, Ms. Foley has become a leading voice in hostage advocacy. Under her leadership, the Foundation helped establish Hostage US and the Alliance for a Culture of Safety, and played a central role in the government policy review that led to Presidential Policy Directive 30 on U.S. hostage affairs. She was instrumental in securing passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Accountability Act, which defined “wrongful detention” and strengthened government accountability for prioritizing the return of Americans held captive overseas. She continues to raise awareness of international hostage-taking and press for improved journalist safety education and safeguards.
In 2024, Ms. Foley co-authored American Mother with Colum McCann – a memoir of her family’s ordeal and the power of forgiveness. As The Guardian noted, “It is thanks to Foley’s work and that of the Foundation she set up in Jim’s name that American hostages taken today have a much better chance of being released than her son did.” Since 2015, more than 170 U.S. nationals have been freed from unjust captivity. Ms. Foley’s work has not only transformed U.S. hostage policy but brought hope and support to countless families.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin is an American-Israeli activist who became involved in global hostage advocacy when her 23-year-old son, Hersh, was severely wounded, kidnapped from the Nova musical festival he was attending, and taken into Gaza by Hamas. Immediately following his kidnapping, Ms. Goldberg-Polin helped launch a campaign, with other family members of the hostages in Gaza, to draw attention to their plight and call for their release. Since then, she has met with both political and religious leaders from around the world and addressed international organizations such as the United Nations about the hostage crisis. She has contributed significantly to shaping public understanding around the October 7 hostage crisis, emphasizing the humanitarian nature of the issue. In April 2024, she was named among TIME magazine’s “100 most influential people in the world” and received the Lyndon B. Johnson Moral Courage Award from the Holocaust Museum Houston, alongside her husband, Jon Polin, in 2025. She has spoken repeatedly about the need for international frameworks that protect civilians and hostages during times of conflict and has called on governments to treat the hostage crisis as a human rights and foreign policy priority. Through her efforts, she has reinforced the principle that all civilians, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or status, deserve dignity and protection.
The 2025 Lantos Prize will be conferred at an invitation only ceremony in DC. More details about the ceremony will be forthcoming for members of the media. The Lantos Human Rights Prize has been awarded annually since 2009 (see a full list of laureates here). It is given to a human rights champion or champions to help draw attention to human rights violations around the world and to encourage governments to prioritize human rights in foreign policy decisions. The Lantos Prize is named for Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and co-founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, now known as the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Learn more at www.lantosfoundation.org.
