Project Galileo celebrated its 10th anniversary with two distinguished panels hosted by the NED (National Endowment for Democracy).
These conversations highlight the future of the Internet and Internet freedom. The panels explored recent U.S. State Department efforts on Internet freedom; the role the private sector plays in helping effectuate the U.S. vision of Internet freedom with efforts like Project Galileo; the current challenges associated with authoritarian government’s influence on Internet standards, governance, and international development. The discussions also touched on the role policy plays, both in the United States and globally, in efforts to protect the Internet; what the U.S. and other rights-respecting nations stand to lose if the open Internet is diminished; and how all stakeholders (private sector, civil society, governments) can work together to protect and advance the free and open Internet.
Moderator
Alissa Starzak, Head of Policy, Cloudflare
Panelists
Jennifer Brody, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy for Technology and Democracy, Freedom House
Emily Skahill, Cyber Operations Planner, Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Adrien Ogée, Chief Operations Officer, CyberPeace Institute
Mirage news of 14 June 2025 comes with an interesting assessment of eyeWitness to Atrocities (eyeWitness) which marks its tenth anniversary. The International Bar Association (IBA) applauds the work of the pioneering initiative it founded in 2015. The launch of the eyeWitness to Atrocities app for Android phones has harnessed the power of technology in the global fight for justice. The tamper-proof photo, video and audio footage captured using the eyeWitness app, and securely stored by IBA partner LexisNexis , meets the strict evidentiary criteria required to be admissible as evidence in legal proceedings.
Jaime Carey, President of the International Bar Association, stated: ‘As we mark a decade of eyeWitness to Atrocities, we celebrate ten years at the intersection of technology, law, and human rights. .. As President of the IBA, I am proud of our member organisations that have dedicated vast amounts of pro bono work analysing footage captured using the app and I reaffirm IBA support for this vital work and its enduring impact on the global pursuit of justice.’
Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the IBA, added: ‘Footage captured with the eyeWitness to Atrocities app is invaluable in securing justice and bridging the gap between activists and the law. By ensuring that visual evidence is authenticated, the app transforms raw documentation into legally admissible proof. In a world where impunity often thrives in the absence of credible evidence, eyeWitness plays a critical role in bringing truth to light and ensuring that justice is not just a distant ideal, but a real possibility.’
Over the past decade, the eyeWitness app has become an essential tool for human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations documenting grave human rights violations and atrocity crimes around the world. Key achievements include:
more than 85,000 photos, videos and audio recordings captured using the app;
more than 900 training sessions delivered globally, including in active conflict zones;
more than 55,000 hours spent reviewing visual evidence;
The impact of eyeWitness has been extensive. The content captured has contributed to numerous cases and reports globally, including:
in 2018, when two commanders in the Democratic Republic of Congo were convicted of historical crimes against humanity including murder and torture;
in Ukraine, where the Kharkiv Commercial and District Administrative Courts heard four cases in 2022 relating to compensation claims for damage to non-residential property and the destruction of vital financial documents;
a case in the UK involving UK National Contact Point , where the construction company JCB’s equipment was used in the demolition of Palestinian communities and construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank;
Carrie Bowker, Director of eyeWitness to Atrocities, commented: ‘The path from documentation to justice is not always straightforward, and as we mark this milestone, we are deeply grateful to the courageous documenters capturing critical evidence of atrocity crimes, to the law firms that provide invaluable pro bono support and to LexisNexis for securely storing footage captured with the app. We aim to continue connecting frontline documenters with legal and investigative bodies that can act on the evidence they collect.’
In a 2023 outcome report the eyeWitness organisation highlighted areas of work including significant footage collection; increased and strengthened partnerships with global human rights organisations dedicated to active documentation for accountability; and expanded pro bono assistance in reviewing and analysing collected footage.
This event will take place on 16 June 2025, from 1:00PM – 2:00PM CEST, in Room XXV, of the Palais des Nations in Geneva Add to calendarpdf Download event flyer
In the face of the triple planetary environmental crisis, of conflict, genocide and apartheid, of the consolidation of authoritarian ideologies and narratives around the globe, and the erosion of the rule of law as well as the closing of civic space, never have we needed a robust international human rights system so badly.
But the UN human rights system is in crisis. As essential users and actors of the system, human rights defenders’ views are valuable. The event provides a space to be hearing directly from them not only about why they need an effective, efficient, responsive UN human rights system to support their activism especially in the current context, but also about the ways in which the UN system needs to grow, evolve, adapt and reform itself to deal with the crisis of credibility and legitimacy it is currently facing.
Panelists:
Laura Restrepo, Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) & FDSS, Colombia
Mariama Jumie Bah , Human Rights Defenders Network Sierra Leone
Elena Petrovska , LGBTI Equal Rights Association (ERA), Western Balkans/Turkey
Douglas Javier Juárez Dávila, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Guatemala
The Brazilian lower house on Monday (26 May 2025) approved a bill establishing the National Marielle Franco Day for Human Rights Advocates. The date established is March 14—the day the Rio de Janeiro councilwoman and her driver Anderson Gomes were murdered in 2018 after leaving an event. The text will now be considered by the Senate.
Among the actions listed are promoting the public debate on the role of human rights defenders; encouraging the participation of women, black people, indigenous people, and other historically marginalized groups in decision-making processes; and spreading the word about both Brazilian and international protection mechanisms for advocates.
The bill was drawn up by former Representative David Miranda, who died in 2023, as well as other PSOL members. The proposal’s rapporteur, Representative Benedita da Silva, of the PT, said that institutional recognition of the role of human rights defenders helps strengthen Brazilian democracy as it values individuals who have fought for the enforcement of fundamental rights.
“By establishing a date of recognition and remembrance, the bill not only pays tribute to Marielle [Franco] and so many others, but also raises national awareness about the importance of guaranteeing the physical, psychological, and political integrity of these individuals,” the rapporteur said.
“The creation of the National Human Rights Defenders’ Day acts as a symbolic and political gesture to reaffirm the Brazilian state’s commitment to the principle of human dignity and respect for public liberties—essential elements of any democratic state governed by the rule of law,” she concluded.
The representative also noted that the date is already a landmark of resistance and remembrance in different parts of Brazil. The legislative assemblies of the states of Pará, Paraíba, and Pernambuco have approved similar proposals, as has the Porto Alegre City Council.
In Rio de Janeiro, the Legislative Assembly established the Marielle Franco Human Rights Award in 2021 as a permanent way of recognizing initiatives aligned with the agendas that marked her political work—such as the rights of black women, LGBTQIA+ people, favela residents, and human rights activists.
In São Paulo, the city council also created the Marielle Franco Human Rights Award in 2023, which is already in its second edition and in 2025 honored historic leaders from the outskirts of the city, like Dona Olga Quiroga.
On May 28, 1961 -64 years ago today – a British lawyer named Peter Benenson penned a letter for the Observer newspaper in the UK launching the “Appeal for Amnesty 1961,” a campaign calling for the release of people imprisoned around the world because of the peaceful expression of their beliefs. This movement galvanized into what is now Amnesty International, an organization founded on the idea that ordinary people around the world could protect human rights by coming together to take action on behalf of others.
Sixty-four years later, Amnesty is a worldwide movement for human rights with a collective power of 10 million people, each one committed to fighting for justice, equality and freedom everywhere.
Today, Amnesty is needed more than ever to confront a backlash against human rights and increasing authoritarian practices, including right here in the United States.
As a global movement, we have—and continue to—show up in solidarity for communities and across issues and geographies. Caring, compassionate people have powered our movement for decades as we’ve shined a light on injustice and defended human rights. We will raise the political cost of authoritarian practices through direct advocacy, constituent pressure on Congress and other leaders to use their power in the defense of human rights, and other impactful campaigning efforts……
As we mark our anniversary, we are recommitting to our efforts to champion and protect human rights, here in the United States, and around the world.
12 tips from Amnesty International leaders around the world:
Fight hard against early attacks against individuals and institutions, and ask, “If we lose now, who will they come for next.”
Watch for new government agencies and data collection designed for repression. Leaders who embrace authoritarian tactics create “lists” to target effective activists, often using social media. Surveillance is a red flag.
Elections are dangerous flashpoints for accelerators of repression. Crackdowns and laws passed to restrict civic space often spike pre-elections.
Resist the legal system being weaponized. Governments will use trumped up charges, long pretrial detentions and lengthy trials to sideline activists, denying bail and delaying appeals.
Read new “unrelated” laws carefully with an eye on civic space and freedom of expression. Not every attack on rights will be direct and obvious.
Be ready for fake “facts” and smear campaigns to paint human rights defenders as corrupt or criminal. How are you going to get the truth out quickly and widely?
Catch repressive legislative drafts early and fight back hard and publicly. And don’t stop until bills are dead and won’t come back.
Stay inspired about a pro-rights future, but create strategies and stay ready for worsening anti-rights scenarios.
Public narrative matters. Anti-rights actors will reframe human rights as threats, to shrink civic space. Don’t let them. Resist and frame a public narrative that speech, protest and assembly are essential to defend all the other rights.
Protect yourself, your wellbeing and your safety. Threats come in many forms and will be experienced differently by each activist. Do what is right for you.
Be a good partner. Solidarity wins. Build coalitions, share resources, lean on allies and let them lean on you.
Keep an eye on other contexts. Repressive leaders learn from each other. Human rights activists need to do the same.
From Hungary to China to Venezuela, and anywhere else leaders think they can act with impunity—we have fought back at every turn.
Now finally there is some closure as reported by ANP on 4 June 2025:
In El Salvador, three suspects have been found guilty of murdering four Dutch journalists that were working for IKON in 1982. All three were handed a prison sentence of 15 years, several Salvadorian media outlets reported, including the newspaper Diario El Salvador.
After a hearing that took longer than 11 hours, the jury ruled that all the suspects were involved in the death of the journalists. The suspects are the former Minister of Defense, Guillermo Garcia (91), former director of a special police service, Francisco Antonio Moran (93), and former colonel Mario Reyes Mena (85).
Koos Koster, Jan Kuiper, Hans ter Laag, and Joop Willemsen, four journalists who worked for the now defunct broadcaster IKON, were reporting on the civil war in the country in 1982. They walked into an ambush at Chalatenango and were killed. A now-repealed amnesty law prevented the prosecution of the perpetrators for years.
Sonja ter Laag (70), the sister of Hans ter Laag, responded to the verdict. “I am very happy that the people who murdered my brother have been convicted. And that they will go to their graves as murderers. We can finally close this after 43 years.”
She added that the victim’s relatives have been living in a state of hope and desperation for the convictions for 43 years. “That costs a lot of energy, you don’t want to know. And now it is over. The people who gave the order to murder my brother, an innocent 25-year-old boy, will be punished.” Ter Laag did not mind that the elderly men would not have long to live anymore. “In any case, they will not go to their grave decorated.”
The judges imposed a lower sentence than the maximum set by the law. Instead of a prison sentence of 30 years, they imposed 15 years because of the defendants’ age and poor health.
García and Morán are being treated in a private hospital. El Salvador has requested the extradition of Reyes Mena. He currently lives in the U.S.
On 1 May 2025 the Human Rights Foundation announced the recipients of the 2025 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent: Cuban artist and pro-democracy activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Syrian activist and artist Azza Abo Rebieh, and Russian artist, poet, and musician Sasha Skochilenko.
He gained international attention for his performance art and peaceful protests, including hunger strikes and symbolic acts of resistance. He was arrested during Cuba’s historic 2021 protests and sentenced to five years in prison following a closed trial. In 2022, following a submission by HRF, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his imprisonment to be arbitrary and urged the Cuban regime to release him immediately. He is being held in Guanajay maximum-security prison.
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, “Los Heroes no Pesan.” Courtesy of the artist.
AZZA ABO REBIEH
Azza Abo Rebieh is a Syrian artist born in Hama in 1980. During the Syrian revolution, she created graffiti, led workshops with women, and organized puppet theater for children in rural villages. In 2015, she was detained by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Art became her solace during her imprisonment in Adra prison, where she shared a cell with 30 women, many of whom were illiterate. Azza drew her cellmates, dignifying them through reminders and glimpses of themselves through sketches. Following her release, her prison drawings were exhibited at the Drawing Center in New York. Her work explores memory, resistance, and survival and is held in collections including the British Museum and Institut du Monde Arabe.
Azza Abo Rebieh, “Hindmosts.” Courtesy of the artist.
SASHA SKOCHILENKO
Sasha Skochilenko is a Russian artist, musician, poet, and former political prisoner. She was arrested in 2022 for distributing anti-war messages and sentenced in 2023 to seven years in prison under Russia’s so-called “fake news” law.
Skochilenko was released in 2024 as part of the Ankara prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia. She lives in Germany, where she continues her artistic work, participating in exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, and London to showcase the drawings she created in prison. Beyond activism, she’s the author of “Book About Depression,” which played a significant role in destigmatizing mental health issues in Russia.
Sasha Skochilenko replaced pricing labels with anti-war messages (seen here in English translation).
You don’t need experience to make a difference. You just need the belief that things can be better – and the courage to take that first step. At Amnesty, we’ll support you to get involved in a way that works for you. Whether you’ve got five minutes or a few hours a month, there’s a place for you in our movement.
….
🌈 Ready to Take Action? Sign up Today.
Once you sign up, we’ll guide you through a short online induction module that introduces you to who we are, what we do, and how you can help. From there, you’ll be connected with the right support to help you
On 29 May the Committee to Protect Journalists and fourteen other organisations have urged Pakistan to immediately halt deportation of Afghan journalists and other vulnerable Afghan migrants. The fifteen advocacy groups expressed deep concern over Pakistan’s ongoing deportation plan, first announced on 3 October 2023, which targets undocumented Afghan nationals. The joint statement highlights the heightened risks faced by Afghan journalists, writers, artists, human rights defenders, and others who fled Taliban persecution and are now at risk of being forcibly returned.
Among the signatories are prominent international organisations such as PEN Germany, CPJ, Unlimited Free Press, Front Line Defenders, International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), Nai – Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The organisations also called on the international community to provide safe resettlement opportunities for these individuals, recognising the dangers they face if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Pakistan’s deportation policy has faced sharp criticism from local and international bodies, including the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). These entities have urged Pakistan to uphold its international obligations and provide protection to those fleeing conflict and persecution.
Despite repeated calls for restraint, the Pakistani government has accelerated forced returns in recent months. In April alone, more than 300,000 Afghans were deported, drawing further condemnation from human rights organisations.
——
On 28 May Amnesty International along with four other human rights organizations wrote to the Pakistani prime minister, calling for an end to the “harassment and arbitrary detention” of Baloch human rights defenders (HRDs) exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, particularly in Balochistan province.
The letter comes in the wake of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, one of the leading campaigners for the Baloch minority and the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and a number of other activists, being arrested in March on charges of terrorism, sedition and murder. ..
The five organizations — Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Front Line Defenders, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organization Against Torture — appeal to Pakistan’s Prime Minister to release Baloch human rights defenders and end the crackdown on dissent in line with Pakistan’s international human rights obligations;
A dozen UN experts called on Pakistan in March to immediately release Baloch rights defenders, including Dr. Baloch, and to end the repression of their peaceful protests. UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders Mary Lawlor said she was “disturbed by reports of further mistreatment in prison.”
Balochistan is the site of a long-running separatist movement, with insurgent groups accusing the state of unfairly exploiting Balochistan’s rich gas and mineral resources. The federal and provincial governments deny this, saying they are spending billions of rupees on the uplift of the province’s people.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider President Nelson Mandela addresses the 49th session of the General Assembly October 1994.
An Indigenous social worker from Canada and a social entrepreneur from Kenya are the laureates of the 2025 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, the United Nations announced on28 May 2025.
Secretary-General António Guterres will present the award to Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede on 18 July, Nelson Mandela International Day. “This year’s Mandela prize winners embody the spirit of unity and possibility – reminding us how we all have the power to shape stronger communities and a better world,” said Mr. Guterres.
A Status Treaty member of the Fishing Lake Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, Brenda Reynolds has spent decades advancing Indigenous rights, mental health, and trauma-informed care. In 1988, she supported 17 teenage girls in the first residential school sexual abuse case in Saskatchewan. Later, she became a special adviser to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), helping shape survivor support and trauma responses. She is most recognised for her key role in Canada’s court-ordered Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and her subsequent development of the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program—a national initiative offering culturally grounded mental health care for survivors and families. In 2023, she was invited by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to share her expertise on trauma and cultural genocide.
Kennedy Odede
Living in Kenya’s Kibera Slum for 23 years, Kennedy Odede went from living on the street at 10 years old to global recognition when he was named one of TIME magazine’s 2024 100 Most Influential People. His journey began with a small act: saving his meagre factory earnings to buy a soccer ball and bring his community together. That spark grew into Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a grassroots movement he now leads as CEO. SHOFCO operates in 68 locations across Kenya, empowering local groups and delivering vital services to over 2.4 million people every year. Mr. Odede is also a New York Times bestselling co-author and holds roles with USAID, the World Economic Forum, the Obama Foundation, and the Clinton Global Initiative.
——-
Also interesting to note that according to the Sahara Press Service of29 May 2025 an unexpected and high-profile controversy led to the elimination of Moroccan nominee Amina Bouayach President of CNDH from the shortlist. Bouayach’s candidacy sparked a wave of international protest, with letters, petitions, and statements of condemnation sent to the selection committee from both Sahrawi organizations and Moroccan human rights defenders, who denounced the nomination as a betrayal of Mandela’s legacy.
The opposition was led by victims of human rights abuses—Sahrawis, Rifians, journalists, and former political prisoners—who expressed deep outrage that a figure associated with the whitewashing of Morocco’s ongoing violations could be considered for a prestigious prize meant to honor defenders of dignity and freedom.
In a series of forceful statements, the Sahrawi National Council and the Sahrawi Human Rights Commission described Bouayach’s nomination as “an insult” to Mandela and accused her of legitimizing repression in Western Sahara and within Morocco. Notably, Moroccan activists also voiced rare public criticism, calling the nomination a distortion of both the United Nations’ credibility and Mandela’s ideals…
Her leadership at the Moroccan National Human Rights Council has been, and still is marked not by independent advocacy, but by efforts to legitimize state atrocities even as reports of abuses against Sahrawis, Rifians, journalists, and peaceful dissidents have continued to mount. ..
According to sources close to the selection process, the committee was “taken aback” by the level and breadth of resistance, especially the coordinated objections from across the political and geographic spectrum. This pressure ultimately led to Bouayach’s exclusion from consideration.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 