The US Department of State presented the Human Rights Defense Award to Beşdar Hesen, Head of the Behdinan Detainees Volunteer Defense Group. Lawyer Beşdar Hesen returned to Hewler and announced that he had offered his award to the Kurdish people's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Hesen told a press conference in Hewler that he would offer his award to Öcalan. "There are two important messages in this award. On one hand, it aims to support free journalists in Kurdistan, while on the other hand, the US State Department drew attention to the state of the courts in the Kurdistan Region."