Zuzana Szatmáry

Zuzana Szatmáry is a commentator, journalist, poet and long-standing representative of the Charter 77 Foundation. She is one of those who have devoted their lives to protecting human rights, supporting civil society and helping people who have found themselves in unjust or difficult life situations.

She was born in 1947 in Bratislava, but spent part of her childhood in Čierny Balog. She studied architecture, sociology and computer science. Because of the political persecution of her family, she could not fully develop her professional career. Under the communist regime she therefore held a number of jobs. She worked as a youth worker in a correctional facility, a lathe operator, a cleaner and an administrative clerk.

In 1989 she joined the democratic changes and was present at the birth of the civic movement Public Against Violence. She also helped build up the activities of the Charter 77 Foundation in Slovakia. After the split of Czechoslovakia she became director of its Slovak branch, to which she has devoted a substantial part of her professional and civic life.

Under her leadership, the Charter 77 Foundation became an important organisation helping people to protect their rights. Through legal advice and support in court cases, it helped citizens seeking justice, often against economically or socially stronger parties.

One example is the case of employees of the Mondi SCP paper mill in Ružomberok. Trade unionists lost their jobs after standing up for better working conditions and employees’ rights. With the help of the Charter 77 Foundation they won their lawsuit over the invalidity of their dismissals. Zuzana Szatmáry’s personal approach is captured in the words with which she encouraged one of the union activists: “The truth will prevail.”

Zuzana Szatmáry also played a significant role in shaping the civic sector in Slovakia. She was present at the birth of the Stupava conferences, which created space for cooperation among non-governmental organisations and for establishing their joint representation. It was here that the Third Sector Board (Grémium tretieho sektora) began to be elected. She also helped found the Slovak-Jewish magazine Delet.

For her civic engagement she received the international Woman of Europe award in 1993. The award recognises the contribution of women to the development of European values, human rights and civil society.

She was one of the main initiators of the OK ’98 campaign for free and fair elections. The aim of the campaign, in which one hundred non-governmental organisations took part, was to motivate citizens to vote and to ensure civic oversight of the elections. The initiators of the campaign adopted a declaration stating that “should anyone attempt to remove the democratic order in Slovakia, non-governmental organisations will resist such efforts”.

Thanks in part to the successful campaign, turnout in the 1998 parliamentary elections reached 84%.

Alongside her civic work, she also writes literature. She is the author of the poetry collections Rozumné srdce (A Sensible Heart) and Čiernidlo (Blackness). As a commentator she writes about human rights, the protection of minorities and the democratic development of society.

Through her work, Zuzana Szatmáry shows that protecting human rights is not only about promoting principles, but above all about concrete deeds and the willingness to stand by those whose rights are threatened.

The 2026 Anton Srholec Freedom Award is conferred on Zuzana Szatmáry for her lifelong commitment to the protection of human rights and freedoms, her tireless help to people seeking justice and her significant contribution to building a democratic civil society in Slovakia.