New York, September 22, 2025 – Hostage Aid Worldwide proudly presented its 2025 “Breaking the Chain” Award for Exceptional Hostage Release Efforts to Adam Wagner KC of Doughty Street Chambers and Adam Rose, Partner at Mishcon de Reya LLP, during its annual high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 19.
This award celebrates extraordinary dedication to the mission of bringing hostages home. Since October 2023, Wagner and Rose have led groundbreaking pro bono efforts on behalf of British and British-linked families whose loved ones remain in captivity in Gaza. Their advocacy transformed the UK government’s response to the crisis, helping secure the creation of a dedicated Gaza Hostages Team within the Foreign Office and direct engagement between families and senior government leaders.
Working closely with the families of British and UK-linked hostages in Gaza, Wagner and Rose have combined legal expertise with deep humanitarian compassion. Their sustained support for these families has stood as a testament to their personal commitment to those enduring unimaginable anguish.
At the event, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, praised the two lawyers: “This is a very well-deserved moment of recognition for the tireless support you have given to British and British-linked families so cruelly separated from their loved ones. We will not stop, and I know Adam and Adam will not stop, until all the hostages are returned home.”
Accepting the award, Adam Wagner KC emphasized the global stakes: “The real honor is acting for the families of ten hostages with British connections. Hostage-taking is not just a local problem—it is a major challenge for the entire world. Every hostage requires a shared international response. These awards are dedicated to those still in captivity, including our clients Yossi Sharabi and Avinatan Or. Bring them home.”
The presentation of the “Breaking the Chain” Award to Adam Wagner and Adam Rose underscores Hostage Aid Worldwide’s commitment to honoring those who turn compassion into action, and serves as a reminder that the fight to bring every hostage home continues.
