Knight of Freedom Award

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Knight of Freedom Award
Awarded forActions in support of human rights and democracy
CountryPoland
Presented byCasimir Pulaski Foundation
First award2005
Websitepulaski.pl/en/knight-of-freedom-award/

The Knight of Freedom Award (Polish: Rycerz Wolności) is a Polish international award conferred annually to "outstanding figures, who promote the values represented by General Casimir Pulaski: freedom, justice, and democracy".

History

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The award was established in 2005 and is presented by the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. Zbigniew Pisarski,[1] the President of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, presents the laureates with handmade replicas of the sabre (Polish: karabela) used by General Pulaski. The award ceremony takes place each year during the Warsaw Security Forum.[2][3]

Laureates

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Year Laureate(s) Image Citizenship(s) Description Source(s)
2025 Jens Stoltenberg JensStoltenberg Norway [4]
2023 NATO NATO International The award was accepted by Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO. [5]
2022 Ukraine Olena Zelenska Ukraine The award was accepted by Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine. [6]
2021 Alexei Navalny Alexei Navalny Russia [7]
2020 Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland Norway [8]
2019 Dalia Grybauskaitė Dalia Grybauskaitė Lithuania [9]
2018 Anders Fogh Rasmussen Anders Fogh Rasmussen Denmark [10]
2017 Mary Robinson Mary Robinson Ireland [11]
2016 Toomas Ilves Toomas Ilves Estonia [12][13]
Mikhail Khodorkovsky Mikhail Khodorkovsky Russia [14][15]
2015 Carl Bildt Carl Bildt Sweden [16]
Radosław Sikorski Radosław Sikorski Poland [17]
2014 Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili Georgia [18]
2013 Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Latvia [19]
2012 Richard Lugar Richard Lugar United States [20]
2011 Bernard Kouchner Bernard Kouchner France [21]
2010 Javier Solana Javier Solana Spain [22]
2009 Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus Lithuania [23]
Aleksander Kwaśniewski Aleksander Kwaśniewski Poland [24][25]
2008 Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa Poland [26]
2007 Alaksandar Milinkievič Alaksandar Milinkievič Belarus [27]
2006 Władysław Bartoszewski Władysław Bartoszewski Poland for his work in the Solidarity trade union and in Polish-German relations [28]
2005 Norman Davies Norman Davies United Kingdom [29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Author's bio". Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  2. ^ "Knight of Freedom Award". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  3. ^ "About CPF". Archived from the original on 2018-01-08. Retrieved 2018-01-07.
  4. ^ "NATO ex-chief Jens Stoltenberg honoured at Warsaw Security Forum". polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  5. ^ "NATO gets award from Polish think tank". polskieradio.pl. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Ukraine's First Lady accepts 'Knight of Freedom Award' on behalf of her people". Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Alexey Navalny – 2021 Knight of Freedom awardee". Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Thorbjørn Jagland". Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Prezydent Dalia Grybauskaitė wyróżniona nagrodą Rycerz Wolności". Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Anders Fogh Rasmussen". Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  11. ^ "Mary Robinson – "Knight of Freedom" of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  12. ^ "Toomas Hendrik Ilves the "Knight of Freedom" of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation". Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  13. ^ "Polish think tank gives Ilves Knight of Freedom award". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  14. ^ "Khodorkovsky given 'Knight of Freedom' award". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  15. ^ "Knight Of Freedom Award 2016". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  16. ^ "Graduation & Inauguration ceremonies of the Academy of Young Diplomats". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  17. ^ "Graduation & Inauguration ceremonies of the Academy of Young Diplomats". diplomats.pl. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  18. ^ "Mikheil Saakashvili granted award of Freedom Knight". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  19. ^ "Talking Policy: Vaira Vike-Freiberga on Latvia". Archived from the original on 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  20. ^ "Press Releases Archive". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  21. ^ "Bernard Kouchner". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  22. ^ "Javier Solana". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  23. ^ "Valdas Adamkus". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  24. ^ "Aleksander Kwaśniewski". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  25. ^ "Kwaśniewski dostał nagrodę Rycerz Wolności". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  26. ^ "Lech Wałęsa". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  27. ^ "Aleksandr Milinkiewicz". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  28. ^ "Władysław Bartoszewski". Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  29. ^ "Awards". Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-06.