The sisters and fiancee of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney are to be awarded a prestigious bravery prize in Germany, it emerged today.
The women will be presented with the annual Die Qudriga Award - which stands for courage, vision and responsibility - in Berlin tomorrow.
They came to prominence after the 33-year-old father-of-two was stabbed to death outside a Belfast bar in January.
Despite being subjected to a campaign of intimidation, they claimed the killer was a member of the IRA and was being shielded by the paramilitary group.
The judges praised the women's courage and dignity in the face of repeated threats.
Their campaign for justice took them to the US White House for a meeting with President George Bush in March, during which he urged people to break down the wall of silence surrounding the murder.
The McCartney sisters and Robert's partner, Bridgeen Hagans, have also travelled to London, Brussels and Dublin to raise the profile of their case. One man has been charged with Mr McCartney's murder and is expected to stand trial next year.
A second is accused of attempting to murder the friend who was with him on the night he died outside Magennis' Bar in Belfast city centre.
The McCartney's last month said a campaign of intimidation against them had intensified and claimed republicans were responsible for beating a close friend of the murdered man in Belfast.
Sinn Fein has denied republicans were responsible for attacking them. Meanwhile, the sisters and Ms Hagens will this week be named among Time Magazine's European Heroes for 2005.