Dr. Irina Scherbakowa receives the Ludwig Beck Prize for Civil Courage for her many years of personal and political commitment as a founding member of the Russian human rights organization Memorial. The historian and academic is committed to coming to terms with and investigating the crimes of the Soviet era and Soviet political tyranny. She is regarded as the mouthpiece of the freedom movement in Russia and campaigns for a democratic Russia and reconciliation. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Sherbakova left her home country. She has been living in exile in Germany since July 2022.

Yulia Navalnaya receives the Ludwig Beck Prize for Civil Courage for her years of support for her husband, opposition politician Alexei Navalny, until his death. She stood up for the fundamental values of the UN Charter of Human Rights at the risk of her freedom and her life. In this way, she continues her husband's political struggle and is committed to freedom, democracy and peace.

Since 2011, the award for civic courage has honored individuals, associations and institutions from Wiesbaden who have made a special effort to help others. The award, endowed with 2,500 euros, went to Johann Zernickel and Andrej Belosludov in 2025. They were nominated by Felix Paschek, the then Chief of Police of West Hesse. In April 2024, Zernickel and Belosludov saved a neighbor from a knife attack. Zernickel pulled the attacker away from the neighbor and held him until the police arrived. Meanwhile, Belosludov secured the knife that the attacker had dropped and administered first aid. The seriously injured neighbor was taken to hospital after the arrival of the police and ambulance service and successfully operated on there.