A Q&A with Magnitsky Award Winner Ye Lin Myint from Justice and Accountability Initiative

Myanmar human rights campaigner Ye Lin Myint, founding chair of Sweden-based Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI), received the 2026 Magnitsky Human Rights Award for “outstanding legal contribution to human rights” in London on Nov. 12 for his human rights work, including spearheading legal action in Norway to hold Norwegian telecommunications firm Telenor accountable after it withdrew its operations from Myanmar and allegedly handed over millions of citizens’ user data to the regime. Established in the U.K. in 2015 in honour of Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky—who died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after exposing state corruption—the annual prize recognizes individuals and organizations advancing human rights and fighting impunity. DVB: First of all, how do you feel about receiving the 2026 Magnitsky Human Rights Award, and what does this award mean for your human rights work? YLM: We are deeply honored and delighted by this recognition. Receiving this award serves as a strong source of motivation, while also carrying a great sense of responsibility. Moving forward, there is much work to be done building on this recognition, and I hope this award will help make our efforts stronger and more effective. DVB: Next, when taking legal action against a major international telecommunications company like Telenor, what were the biggest challenges you faced?