Each year the Science and Human Rights Program hosts a reception at the AAAS Annual Meeting. The reception honours one or more scientists who have been victims of human rights violations.

In the last five years the Program has honoured scientists from six countries. Among them was Vil Mirzoyanov, a Russian chemist imprisoned after revealing illegal chemical weapons experimentation in Russia. He was placed in custody and charged with divulging of state secrets in 1993, but released after U.S. scientists initiated a major campaign on his behalf.