🚨 Top 100 Most Endangered Persons in the World – 2025

“Where Courage Meets Danger”
Compiled by berndpulch.org – Based on verified threats, political persecution, assassination risks, and systemic silencing.
Categories: Journalists | Whistleblowers | Activists | Political Opponents | Dissidents | Exposers of Power

🔍 Methodology

Verified threats (legal, physical, or digital)
Status: Arrested, Exiled, Vanished, Targeted, or Assassinated
Relevance to press freedom, state repression, global surveillance, human rights
Sourced from NGOs, watchdog reports, investigative journalism, public leaks

🌍 Top 25 (High-Alert Tier)

Rank	Name	Country	Risk Factor	Reason
1	Julian Assange	UK/USA	Imprisoned, Extradition	Founder of WikiLeaks, target of global intelligence
2	Alexei Navalny (deceased)	Russia	Killed in custody	Opposition leader, Kremlin critic
3	Narges Mohammadi	Iran	Imprisoned	Nobel Peace Prize–winning activist
4	Zhang Zhan	China	Imprisoned	COVID whistleblower, citizen journalist
5	Mohammed al-Qahtani	Saudi Arabia	Disappeared	Human rights activist
6	Evan Gershkovich	Russia	Imprisoned	WSJ reporter accused of espionage
7	Jimmy Lai	Hong Kong	Imprisoned	Media mogul, pro-democracy advocate
8	Edward Snowden	Russia	Exiled	NSA whistleblower
9	Maria Ressa	Philippines	Harassed, threatened	Journalist, Nobel Laureate
10	Alaa Abd El-Fattah	Egypt	Imprisoned	Writer, activist
11	Victoria Nuland	USA	High-profile, targeted globally	Subject of state propaganda and conspiracy
12	Gabriel Boric	Chile	Targeted by extremists	Left-wing president under far-right threat
13	Navalny Team (Yarmysh, Volkov, etc.)	EU exile	Threat of poisoning, Kremlin targeting
14	Ilia Yashin	Russia	Imprisoned	Putin critic, anti-war voice
15	Gonzalo Lira (deceased)	Ukraine	Died in custody	Controversial dissident blogger
16	Carine Kanimba	Rwanda/USA	Targeted	Daughter of Paul Rusesabagina
17	Paul Rusesabagina	Rwanda	Formerly imprisoned	Hero of Hotel Rwanda, political target
18	Anas Aremeyaw Anas	Ghana	Death threats	Investigative journalist
19	Idrak Abbasov	Azerbaijan	Beaten, harassed	Oil corruption exposer
20	Julian Reichelt	Germany	Under media siege	Controversial journalist
21	Ahmed Mansoor	UAE	Isolated, tortured	Human rights blogger
22	Roman Protasevich	Belarus	Arrested mid-flight	Opposition figure
23	Dmitry Muratov	Russia	Nobel journalist	Survived attacks
24	Prigozhin Associates	Global	Assassinations, purges	Wagner-linked figures
25	Rafael Marques	Angola	Exposes diamond corruption	Constant threats

📍 26–100: Global Watchlist (Selected by Category)

🥵 Whistleblowers & Leakers (26–40)

1. Daniel Hale (USA) – Drone war whistleblower
1. Reality Winner (USA) – Leaked NSA report
1. Chelsea Manning (USA) – Formerly imprisoned whistleblower
1. Frances Haugen (USA) – Facebook leaks, corporate retaliation
1. Rui Pinto (Portugal) – Football Leaks, legal harassment
1. Grigory Rodchenkov (Russia/USA) – Doping exposer, under protection
1. Valeria Golubenko (Belarus) – Secret police leaks
1. “John Doe” (Panama Papers) – Anonymous whistleblower in hiding
1. Laura Poitras (USA) – Filmmaker, under surveillance
1. Silvan Giger (Switzerland) – Swiss banking leaks
1. Bastian Obermayer (Germany) – Panama Papers journalist
1. Edward Ongweso Jr. (USA) – Tech industry leaks
1. Paul Moreira (France) – Investigative filmmaker under threat
1. Sarah Harrison (UK) – WikiLeaks editor
1. Peiter “Mudge” Zatko (USA) – Twitter whistleblower

🌍 Anti-Corruption & Human Rights (41–55)

1. Khadija Ismayilova (Azerbaijan)
1. Vitali Shkliarov (Belarus)
1. Vanessa Mendoza Cortes (Andorra)
1. Pierre Claver Mbonimpa (Burundi)
1. Daphne Caruana Galizia Network (Malta)
1. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Belarus)
1. Mo Ibrahim (Sudan/UK)
1. Luanda Leaks Investigators (Global)
1. Natalia Sedletska (Ukraine)
1. David Kaye (USA)
1. Sarah Chayes (USA)
1. Peter Eigen (Germany)
1. Anna Politkovskaya Foundation (Russia)
1. Berta Cáceres Network (Honduras)
1. Raed Fares Legacy (Syria)

🌿 Indigenous & Environmental Defenders (56–70)

1. Cátala Vargas (Brazil)
1. Goldi Singh (India)
1. Veronika Mendoza (Peru)
1. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines)
1. Edwin Chota’s Partners (Peru)
1. Elsa Tamez (Mexico)
1. Lottie Cunningham (Nicaragua)
1. Makoma Lekalakala (South Africa)
1. Chut Wutty Foundation (Cambodia)
1. Yeb Saño (Philippines)
1. Rodrigo Mundaca (Chile)
1. Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Heirs (Nigeria)
1. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Chad)
1. Nemonte Nenquimo (Ecuador)
1. Disha Ravi (India)

📖 Journalists & Writers (71–85)

1. Mumia Abu-Jamal (USA)
1. Omoyele Sowore (Nigeria)
1. Can Dündar (Turkey)
1. Myo Min Zaw (Myanmar)
1. Tamara Suju (Venezuela)
1. Hatice Cengiz (Turkey)
1. Svetlana Alexievich (Belarus)
1. Ismail Alexandrani (Egypt)
1. Rana Ayyub (India)
1. Lydia Cacho (Mexico)
1. Hatim Boughanem (Algeria)
1. Ali Ferzat (Syria)
1. Abubakar Siddique (Afghanistan)
1. Sedef Kabas (Turkey)
1. Nazeeha Saeed (Bahrain)

🧵 Dissidents, Exiles & Targeted Leaders (86–95)

1. Juan Guaidó (Venezuela)
1. Thinzar Shunlei Yi (Myanmar)
1. Tundu Lissu (Tanzania)
1. Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar)
1. Leopoldo López (Venezuela)
1. Roy Bennett Family (Zimbabwe)
1. Khalid Payenda (Afghanistan)
1. Karim Tabbou (Algeria)
1. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Belarus)
1. Ousmane Sonko (Senegal)

🌎 Global Icons Facing Threats (96–100)

1. Ai Weiwei (China)
1. Greta Thunberg (Sweden)
1. Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan/UK)
1. Arnold Antonin (Haiti)
1. Agnes Callamard (France, Amnesty Int’l)

✨ This list will be updated regularly. To support endangered voices, spread the word, share this list, or donate to protection initiatives.