(Washington/Oslo — February 6, 2026) Five members of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, the 4th, formally submitted a letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, nominating six prominent human rights and freedom advocates from mainland China and Hong Kong for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of their steadfast commitment to nonviolently defending fundamental human rights and dignity under extreme political repression.
The nomination was jointly submitted by the U.S. Representatives Christopher H. Smith, John Moolenaar, James P. McGovern, Joe Wilson, and Thomas R. Suozzi. The six nominees are Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti; Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai Chee-ying; Chinese Christian pastor Ezra Jin Mingri; Hong Kong civil movement advocate Benny Tai Yiu-ting; youth democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung; and Chinese Christian pastor Wang Yi.
The nomination letter states that all of these individuals have persisted in defending human rights, peace, and dignity through nonviolent means under long-term and systematic repression by the Chinese Communist Party, and have paid significant personal costs as a result, including lengthy imprisonment, political persecution, and judicial harassment. Their efforts and sacrifices, the letter notes, constitute concrete expressions of universal values.
Among them, Professor Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for advocating ethnic autonomy, interethnic dialogue, and an end to discrimination; Jimmy Lai has been arrested since 2020 on charges related to Hong Kong’s National Security Law and was recently found guilty. He is currently awaiting sentencing and faced particularly harsh custodial conditions that are detrimental to his health; Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced for his stance in defense of religious freedom and freedom of conscience, and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has determined that his detention constitutes arbitrary detention (as cited in the letter).
Benny Tai and Joshua Wong are central figures in Hong Kong’s democracy movement and were each given heavy sentences for their involvement in peaceful protests and election-related activities. Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of Zion Church was arrested and faces charges for peaceful religious activities. He advances peace through the cultivation and sustainment of a community of conscience founded on principles of nonviolence, mutual care, and service.
The letter emphasizes that this nomination is not only an affirmation of the individuals concerned, but also demonstrate to China that “the desire for freedom, conscience, and peaceful self-determination among its people is no different from that shared by billions around the world.”
The U.S. lawmakers stated that they are keenly aware of the heavy responsibility borne by the Nobel Committee, and that this nomination represents a reaffirmation to the global community of the importance of fundamental human rights and dignity. They also noted in the letter that in recent years the U.S. Congress has nominated other freedom advocates from China and Hong Kong, including human rights lawyers and civil society activists, calling on the international community to pay attention to individuals persecuted for exercising freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and peaceful participation.
The final recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is expected to be announced by the Committee in the fall of 2026. The award has long been one of the world’s most prominent honors recognizing human rights and peace initiatives.
