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Over 130 human rights experts issue global call for States to end transnational repression

September 28, 2026

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UN human rights experts released a landmark statement urging States, businesses, INTERPOL and international organisations to prevent and combat the spread of transnational repression, warning of its increasing impacts on human rights, democracy and the rule of law and those who take action to defend them. Over one hundred UN Special Procedures mandate holders and members of Treaty Bodies (full list below) adopted a landmark statement calling for a decisive international response to the increasing use of transnational repression by States as a tool to silence activism across borders. ‘An unprecedented number of UN experts made it clear today that any response to transnational repression should be strongly anchored in human rights obligations. Not only should governments hold perpetrators accountable, they should also proactively adopt laws and policies that centre the needs of victims, in particular at-risk diasporas and those in exile.’Raphaël Viana David, ISHR Senior Advocacy Manager ‘Transnational repression represents a growing challenge to the international human rights system and to the principles of the Charter of the UN itself,’ signatories said in their appeal, which provided a roadmap of measures to prevent and respond to transnational repression, and better assist and protect those targeted. ‘By creating fear across borders, transnational repression has profound consequences not only for those directly targeted, their families and communities, but also for civil society action, democratic principles, civic space, refugee protection, independent journalism and media freedom,’ the experts stressed, warning that this threatens the ability of individuals and groups to ‘promote, protect and defend human rights, and to engage safely with national, regional and international human rights mechanisms’, including at the UN. Arising from a retreat for UN human rights experts convened by ISHR in June, this joint statement comes a week after the UN Human Rights Council’s first dedicated dialogue on the issue of transnational repression, and arbitrary detention and amid broader efforts by the UN human rights system to address growing acts of transnational repression targeting those who engage with the UN. These efforts include statements and resolutions at the Human Rights Council, and a first brief by the UN Human Rights Office. Transnational repression tactics, the experts said, include extrajudicial killings, torture, harassment, arbitrary detention, travel bans, expulsions, deprivation of nationality, misuse of international law enforcement mechanisms, including INTERPOL Red Notices, intimidation of family members and associates, and more. Signatories flagged the ‘increasingly digital nature of transnational repression’, including through the use of social media, spyware and malware software, warning that all of these are being amplified by artificial intelligence tools. Signatories urge States to refrain from committing or supporting acts of transnational repression and to develop specific laws and policies to prevent, investigate and punish such acts, including when they don’t amount to a crime under domestic law. This includes directing resources to better track and analyse patterns of transnational repression, including digitally, building the capacity of national authorities across different areas, establishing inter-governmental coordination mechanisms and focal points, and regulating surveillance technologies. Signatories stress the need to combat the misuse of frameworks to counter terrorism and organised crime, to apply additional vetting to INTERPOL Red Notices and Diffusions, and to take into account a country’s transnational repression record when considering bilateral cooperation, agreements, and diplomatic assurances. States must also redouble efforts to protect and assist those being targeted or likely to be in the future, including through efficient reporting channels, adequate protection policies and programmes, psychosocial support, and expedited asylum, resettlement and humanitarian visa processes. Experts also call on other actors, including international organisations and businesses – to be wary of transnational repression and of their responsibilities in preventing it. Businesses, in particular tech companies, should conduct due diligence and strengthen privacy and data protection. INTERPOL should also step up efforts to tackle the misuse of Notices, Diffusions, and other mechanisms, including by cooperating with civil society and relevant States. ‘Powerful human rights abusers will not let a border stop them from quashing dissent. At a time when more States are pushing human rights defence into exile, the UN and all States who care about upholding human rights must heed the experts’ call and take action to protect those who seek refuge or engage in critique or dissent abroad.’Raphael Viana David The latest annual report by the UN Secretary-General on acts of reprisals against individuals seeking to cooperate with the UN cites 32 States. Of these, 13 States are cited for acts of transnational repression, affecting at least 43 individuals and four organisations. ‘Allegations of transnational repression across borders seemed to be on the rise, with examples from all regions, some enabled by the misuse of digital technologies,’ the report noted in its conclusions. ‘Transnational repression can cripple key accountability efforts at the UN and leave the global human rights system blind and deaf. States must ensure human rights defenders and activists who seek justice at the UN are safe from the long reach of abusive governments both while engaging with its mechanisms and afterwards.’Madeleine Sinclair, director of ISHR’s office in New York. ISHR has long campaigned to denounce reprisals against those engaging with the UN, and for the UN and States to ensure that human rights defenders and civil society organisations can safely cooperate with human rights experts and mechanisms. This year, ISHR’s campaign is focused on the impact of transnational repression. ISHR urges States, UN officials, businesses and all stakeholders to follow the recommendations in the statement and take proactive steps to address, prevent and punish acts of transnational repression, to enhance assistance and protection of victims, and to ensure everyone can safely engage with the UN and other international human rights bodies.

READ THE FULL
STATEMENT HERE
https://crm.ishr.ch/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=2026&cid=8618&cs=1c0e8879424323feccbd08455c9c775a_1790156122_168

see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/over-130-human-rights-experts-issue-global-call-for-states-to-end-transnational-repression

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/human-rights-council-reprisals-debate-highlights-growing-trend-of-transnational-repression

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/united-nations-human-rights-experts-release-joint-statement-on-transnational-repression

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UN rights expert speak out against Moscow’s transnational repression

September 23, 2026

Kasmira Jefford on 23 September 2026 in Geneva Solutions discusses the transnational repression by Russia as exposed in Mariana Katzarova’s report to the UN.

Reporting to the Human Rights Council this week on the Kremlin’s widening crackdown on Russian critics overseas, Mariana Katzarova urged states to create a binding international instrument to put a stop to authoritarian governments reaching across borders.  Since being appointed special rapporteur on Russia by the Human Rights Council in October 2022 – eight months after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – Mariana Katzarova has reported widely on the Kremlin’s expanding efforts to stifle critics and anti-war voices within its borders.

But her latest report took her into new territory. “Today, I report on how Russia is exporting that rule of fear,” she told members gathered in the Palais des Nations’ Assembly Hall on Monday. The country in question was conspicuously absent.

The Bulgarian human rights expert and former journalist described how Vladimir Putin’s government “has become one of the most prolific perpetrators of transnational repression” by building a state-run system to surveil, intimidate and punish any citizens seen to be voicing dissent abroad.

Drawing on more than 400 documented cases, Katzarova noted these were “not a series of isolated incidents”. “It is the continuation, beyond Russia’s borders, of the same structural, state-sponsored system of repression I have documented at home,” she added.

Her report, she claims, is the first UN country-specific report on transnational repression – a concept for which Katzarova said there is still no universal definition but which she describes as a state reaching beyond its borders to silence political or civic opponents.

In August, Russia introduced a new law imposing sweeping financial, property and consular restrictions on Russians living abroad who have pending convictions, including under legislation used to prosecute critics. “My report calls this civic death, de facto statelessness for people who remain on paper citizens,” she added, calling on Moscow to rescind the law.

Russia declined Geneva Solutions’ request to comment. In a statement issued earlier this month, Moscow’s foreign ministry said its stance was unchanged from previous years. “We do not recognise the mandate of this illegitimate special procedure, and any form of interaction with it is unacceptable to us”.

Several journalists and rights defenders targeted by Russia were also present at the Human Rights Council on Monday to share their testimonies – including Natalia Arno, an exiled Buryat human rights defender, who fell ill in 2023 with suspected poisoning symptoms during a conference visit in Prague.

Arno, who lives in the United States where she founded the Free Russia Foundation, recalls finding her hotel room door open and noticing a strange smell inside. She woke up the next day with sharp dental pain and cancelled the rest of her trip. On the flight back, she said her organs started to fail, and she was rushed to the hospital on arrival.

Arno said US authorities investigating the case couldn’t tell her what happened, claiming it was a matter of national security. However, according to the special rapporteur, she was told informally by a military hospital that was analysing her bloodwork that she had been targeted by a new type of Novichok.

The suspected attack was unlike anything she had experienced before. “This was another eye-opening level, because it seemed like surveillance, cyberattacks – they just wanted some information about us. But to physically attack us, it was something new,” Arno said.

She said that more needed to be done at an international level to raise awareness of transnational repression. “This issue should not only be treated as a human rights issue. It’s definitely a national security issue because it’s also an attack on the sovereignty of your country,” she said as she addressed states in the room.

Roman Dobrokhotov, Russian journalist and editor-in-chief of news platform The Insider, was also at the side event. “You don’t see my name here because of security reasons – I can’t announce in advance when I’m flying to a conference, even if it is a UN event.”

The Kremlin has targeted Dobrokhotov following investigations by his media into the government’s role in a string of deadly incidents, including the poisoning of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020. Last year, in a long-running trial in the UK, where the journalist and his family have been residing, a court found six Bulgarians guilty of spying for Moscow in a sophisticated operation that included Dobrokhotov among their targets.

He echoed Arno’s concern that repression of individuals was also a problem of global security, saying the same groups targeting him “were also responsible for a big wave of sabotage operations in many different countries”.

Katzarova said countries, particularly in Europe and the United States, where she had seen many cases of transnational repression, needed to work more closely to combat the problem, especially by vetting international compliance databases like Interpol to prevent politically motivated entries or arrest warrants from being automatically cleared.

The expert called for a UN convention to establish common definitions, host-state responsibility, and frameworks for prevention, accountability, and cooperation.

“I hope this is not just a distant dream, but there is a lot of work to be done by member states to initiate such a new instrument,” she told journalists, adding that the Human Rights Council should be at the forefront of such a movement.

“In the meantime, while we don’t have this convention in place, I am calling on the host states to actually develop on their national level a whole framework set up to tackle transnational repression with a strategy, with involvement of their law enforcement, prosecutors, civil society, in order to identify who the victims are,” she said.

Human Rights Council members will vote at the end of the session on whether to renew her mandate – in a resolution being led by the European Union. Commenting on the report on the human rights situation in Russia, the EU ambassador noted the existence of a systematic mechanism of repression in Russia that operates even beyond the country’s borders to suppress criticism.

“The EU is concerned about the report’s findings, the cases of murders and poisonings, the abuse of legal and administrative procedures, the conduct of digital operations, and the use of Interpol contrary to its intended purpose — all of which are directed against individuals both within Russia and beyond its borders,” the EU representative noted. [https://ua.news/en/world/es-zaklikav-rosiiu-pripiniti-peresliduvannia-gromadian-cherez-interpol]

see also:

Transnational Repression: A Year in Review
Transnational repression: Human Rights Watch and other reports
Human rights defenders increasingly face reprisals through transnational repression – #EndReprisals campaign!

https://genevasolutions.news/human-rights/un-rights-expert-calls-out-moscow-s-intensified-repression-of-opponents-outside-russia

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24 September 2026 in Geneva: panel on the role of women human rights defenders and environment

September 21, 2026

This event brings together women human rights defenders who live at the intersections of gender, climate and conflict and whose stories show that these issues need to be tackled in a coordinated, holistic way. On 24 September 2026; 1:00PM – 2:00PM CEST. Address: Room XI, Palais des Nations.

The climate crisis and conflicts are often addressed as separate global issues, however, these crises are deeply interconnected, as both are driven by the same extractive and political dynamics. Climate change compounds existing social and economic inequalities, including gender inequalities, intensifying pressures on natural resources and communities, and contributing to displacement, poverty and insecurity. At the same time, conflicts can destroy ecosystems and livelihoods, and leave communities less able to endure climate change impacts. Human rights defenders often work in contexts where environmental degradation, resource extraction, land dispossession and violence are deeply intertwined, shaped by political and economic interests that determine who controls resources, who benefits from their exploitation, and who bears the costs. In these contexts, violence and conflict become tools for maintaining unequal systems of power and access to land and natural resources, placing those who challenge them at particular risk.

Despite the accumulated risks, women defenders continue to organise and protect their communities and the environment in the face of extreme violence, war and State and non-State armed groups. 

On the occasion of the WHRD Advocacy Week organised by ISHR and partners, women human rights defenders whose stories embody these struggles – from defending the rights of fisherwomen in West Papua, to protecting the rivers of Serbia, or the wetlands in Mexico – have gathered in Geneva. These women live at the intersections of gender, climate and conflict and show us they cannot be tackled separately. [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/09/21/from-21-to-25-september-women-human-rights-advocacy-week-in-geneva/]

With more armed conflicts raging worldwide than ever, and the climate crisis churning out natural disasters and extreme weather events with increasing frequency, learning the lessons from the work of these women human rights defenders has never been more urgent.

Speakers:

  • Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
  • Women human rights defenders from Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific

Moderation: International Service for Human Rights

Interpretation in English, French and Spanish.

This event is co-organised by Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), WHRD Middle East and North Africa Coalition (WHRD MENA Coalition), Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC), Peace Brigades International (PBI), the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF), and Asia Pacific Forum on Women (APWLD).

https://ishr.ch/events/gender-conflict-and-environmental-justice-the-role-of-women-human-rights-defenders

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From 21 to 25 September Women Human Rights Advocacy Week in Geneva

September 21, 2026

Women Human Right Defenders (WHRDs) from around the world will be gathering in Geneva from 21 to 25 September, to learn about the UN Human Rights Council, advocate for their rights and amplify their own stories.

The week-long training, known as the Women Human Rights Advocacy Week, is co-organized by nine human rights organizations including Amnesty International (see below for full list). It is aimed at providing participants with practical tools to understand the Human Rights Council, while offering guidance on how to engage with it strategically and advocate for change in their communities.

“The women attending are risking their lives every day to protect their communities from climate change, greedy corporations and land theft,” said Lisa Maracani, Amnesty International’s researcher on human rights defenders. “Their knowledge is crucial to ensuring bodies such as the Human Rights Council remain effective, while the WHRD Advocacy Week is designed to provide these women with the tools and strategies to advance their advocacy on this global stage.”

The women attending [this meeting] are risking their lives every day to protect their communities from climate change, greedy corporations and land theft.Lisa Maracani, Amnesty International’s researcher on human rights defenders

Participants attending are WHRDs working at the nexus of gender, climate and conflict, and includes activists protecting the environment, the rights of women migrant workers, Indigenous land rights, as well as the rights of communities impacted by businesses activities.

The training aims to facilitate participation for activists who face multiple barriers to accessing the UN, to equip participants with a broad knowledge of the human rights system, to foster networks among them as well as between them and human rights experts, and to amplify their voices and calls for international accountability.

Participants will be able to speak before the Human Rights Council, and meet with, lobby and inform UN officials, diplomats and Council-mandated independent experts. Several participating defenders will also speak at a public event at the UN headquarters on Thursday 24 September alongside the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

“The UN human rights system must be open to and informed by those who have most to contribute to it: human rights defenders,” said Fabiana Leibl, programme manager for the International Service for Human Rights. “With this training, we seek to make sure the perspectives of women human rights defenders are effectively represented at the Human Rights Council’s and across its key mechanisms.”

This event has been organized by: Amnesty International, Asia Pacific Forum on Women (APWLD), Front Line Defenders Rights, International Service for Human (ISHR), Peace Brigade International (PBI), The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC), WHRD Middle East and North Africa Coalition (WHRD MENA Coalition), Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF).

https://www.tolerance.ca/ArticleExt.aspx?ID=611397&L=en

https://ishr.ch/events/gender-conflict-and-environmental-justice-the-role-of-women-human-rights-defenders

https://www.oikoumene.org/events/womens-human-rights-advocacy-training-will-help-hone-strategies

Posted in Amnesty international, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | 1 Comment »
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New Global Witness figures: At least 124 land and environmental defenders killed globally in 2025

September 21, 2026
  • New Global Witness figures bring the total killed and disappeared since 2012 to 2,375
  • Just two South American countries – Colombia and Brazil – accounted for 52% of the 2025 killings
  • In Asia, defenders are facing a rising tide of criminalisation and intimidation
  • Globally, more than three quarters of those killed were small-scale farmers, Indigenous Peoples or Afro-descendant peoples. Indigenous Peoples accounted for 44 of the killings documented in 2025.
  • Land disputes triggered more than half of the killings documented in 2025

At least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2025, bringing the total documented killings and disappearances since 2012 to 2,375, reveals a new report by Global Witness published on 16 September 2026

Of all killings documented in 2025, 85% took place in Latin America, which has ranked as the world’s deadliest region for environmental defenders every year since Global Witness began publishing its annual report in 2012. Globally, more than three-quarters of those killed were small-scale farmers, Indigenous Peoples or Afro-descendant Peoples. Killings took place across Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Colombia, for the fourth consecutive year, was the world’s deadliest documented country for defenders, with 39 killings, nearly half of whom were Indigenous. The second deadliest was Brazil, where 26 defenders were killed in 2025, more than double the figure from the year before. Other deadly countries included Honduras and the Philippines, which each had 12 documented killings, followed by Mexico with 10 killings and Guatemala with eight.

Land disputes were associated with more than half of the killings documented in 2025. Extractive and commercial interests also continued to feature in attacks against defenders: Mining and extractive industries were linked to 11 killings, logging interests to eight and agribusiness to six. Globally, more than one third of killings were linked to organised crime or hitmen. Actors linked to organised crime were identified as perpetrators in cases across multiple countries.

While documented killings were lower in Asia, the report highlights the widespread criminalisation and intimidation of defenders across the continent. Such criminal allegations, which are often amplified via smear campaigns on social media, aim to discredit environmental defenders, casting them as criminals and instigators rather than a frontline defence.

Communities and collective protection

Across regions, Indigenous Peoples and small-scale farmers were highly targeted. Global Witness documented the killing of 44 Indigenous people in 2025, including seven Indigenous Guards.

The report documents how communities across multiple countries use collective protection mechanisms as part of their long-standing defence of their territories, rights and livelihoods. This includes territorial patrols, early warning systems, community monitoring networks and community capacity building, which are supported by rich cultural and often spiritual practices.

Collective protection recognises that land and environmental defenders are rarely targeted as isolated individuals, and challenges the limitations of an individual and reactive protection approach, as collective protection is mostly preventive and life-affirming.

A harsh global climate

The global policy environment for the protection of human rights and those who defend them was seriously weakened in 2025, as the world saw an increase in authoritarian practices, violent conflict and unregulated corporate power, alongside a crisis in funding for human rights.

The report states that the unprecedented fall in foreign aid seen in 2025 – driven by budget cuts by the governments of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and other traditional donors – impacted thousands of human rights organisations, drastically reducing the global pool of support to communities acting in the depths of rainforests and other secluded ecosystems.”

CF https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/09/18/global-witness-2023-2024-annual-report-violent-erasure-of-land-and-environmental-defenders/

https://globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/at-least-124-land-and-environmental-defenders-killed-globally-in-2025

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/16/nature-land-defenders-self-defence-murder-organised-crime

At Least 124 Land and Environmental Defenders Killed in 2025, Mostly in Latin America: Report

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/09/16/latam-environmental-defensers-killed-worldwide/8411789575699

https://www.globalissues.org/news/2026/09/16/44059

https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/latin-america-deadliest-region-for-defenders-in-2025

12 signatories of Colombia’s peace process killed so far in 2026

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NGOs call on China to ensure Sophia Huang Xueqin’s release

September 17, 2026

Credit: Women’s Media Centre

On 15 September 2026 several NGOs issued a joint Statement on this case:

Journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin is due to be released on 18 September after serving an unjust five-year prison sentence. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, together with other organisations, call on the Chinese authorities to ensure her immediate release and guarantee that, once released, she can carry out her journalism and human rights work without surveillance, harassment, retaliation or other restrictions.

Sophia Huang Xueqin is widely recognised for her work on human rights and commitment to press freedom. She is a journalist and one of the most prominent figures associated with China’s #MeToo movement. For years, she reported on and advocated for gender equality and supported survivors of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

In September 2021, Sophia was preparing to start graduate studies in the UK. However, she and a friend, human and labour rights activist Wang Jianbing, were arrested in Guangzhou, China on 19 September, and detained incommunicado for more than five months. While in detention, both Sophia and Jianbing were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment, with negative impacts on their health.

During their trial in September 2023, the prosecution focused on their role in co-organising weekly gatherings with fellow activists, as well as their participation in an online course on non-violence and online posts they had published or shared on issues deemed “sensitive” by the Chinese government.

Their convictions in June 2024 for “inciting subversion of state power” were based solely on the permissible exercise of their human rights, including the rights to freedom of the press and expression as well as association. Their case is emblematic of the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on journalists, human rights defenders, feminist activists and civil society voices calling for social justice and respect for human rights.

Wang, who was sentenced to three and a half years, was released in March 2025.

While Sophia Huang Xueqin is expected to be released on 18 September, we are concerned that she will face restrictions after leaving prison. She was subject to a “supplemental sentence” of four years’ deprivation of political rights, a punishment that is routinely imposed on human rights defenders and journalists to restrict their ability to speak, publish and organise long after their prison terms end. The legal provisions permitting this punishment are incompatible with international human rights standards, not to mention the fact that no one should be punished simply for exercising their human rights.

We call on the Chinese authorities to:

 Ensure Sophia Huang Xueqin is released immediately and is not subjected to any further arbitrary detention and allowed to move freely;
 Guarantee her rights to freedom of expression, press, association and peaceful assembly, alongside her right to participate in public life, including her ability to communicate freely with family, friends, supporters and civil society groups;
 Ensure she is not subjected to surveillance, harassment, intimidation, retaliation or restrictions on her movement and communications; and
 Amend domestic laws, notably the Criminal Law, to ensure their compliance with international law and standards, and prevent the misuse of legal provisions to restrict the rights of human rights defenders and others.

https://www.fidh.org/en/region/asia/china/china-ensure-sophia-huang-xueqin-s-release-and-guarantee-her-freedom

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/china-ngos-call-for-sophia-huang-xueqins-release-and-full-freedom

Posted in FIDH, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT | Leave a Comment »
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Freedom House: new Ambassadors for Freedom Program

September 10, 2026

On 10 September 2026 Freedom House launched the Ambassadors for Freedom program, a new global initiative bringing together a group of democracy advocates to champion solutions to the 20-year decline in global freedom. Carolina Barrero, Nazanin Boniadi, Anaïse Kanimba, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Anna Kwok will serve as the inaugural ambassadors. Ambassadors will work in partnership with Freedom House to spotlight threats to freedom, engage policymakers and the public, and inspire a new generation to safeguard democracy.

Initial Freedom House Ambassadors

Carolina Barrero
Barrero is a Cuban political leader, human rights defender, and political analyst. A prominent figure of Cuba’s 27N and San Isidro prodemocracy movements, her activism led to repeated arbitrary detention, surveillance, house arrest, and ultimately forced exile in 2022. She is president and executive director of Ciudadanía y Libertad, where she leads efforts to strengthen independent civil society, political participation, and democratic institutions in Cuba, and is a PhD Fellow at the University of Miami.

Nazanin Boniadi
Boniadi is an Iranian-born actor, producer, and human rights advocate. She has partnered with charitable organizations since 2008 to campaign for the rights of disenfranchised populations across the world, with a focus on the unjust conviction and treatment of Iranian youth, women, and prisoners of conscience. She sits on the board of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran. As an actress, she has starred in dozens of television series and films.

Anaïse Kanimba
Kanimba is a global development strategist, human rights activist, and freedom technology leader. She is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which her father, Paul Rusesabagina, saved more than 1,200 people. Kanimba co-led the international campaign that secured her father’s release after he was forcibly rendered to Rwanda and illegally detained there. She is program director for freedom technology at the World Liberty Congress, founder of the Africa Bitcoin Institute, and a 2025 McCain Global Leader.

Vladimir Kara-Murza
Kara-Murza is a Russian politician, author, and former political prisoner. He was twice poisoned, reportedly by Russian secret services, for his work securing sanctions against high-ranking Russian rights abusers through the Global Magnitsky Act. In 2022 he received a 25-year treason sentence for denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He was freed in a 2024 prisoner exchange. He is vice president of the Free Russia Foundation, a contributor at The Washington Post, and is an advisor at major rights organizations.

Anna Kwok
Kwok is a Washington, DC-based China policy strategist and well-known Hong Kong prodemocracy activist. In response to her work, in 2023, Hong Kong authorities issued a HK$1 million (US$129,000) bounty for information leading to her capture, and in 2026 they imprisoned her father based on fabricated charges. Kwok serves as a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and chairs the board of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC).

https://freedomhouse.org/article/freedom-house-launches-ambassadors-freedom-program-names-five-leading-human-rights

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Urgent concern for the safety of Angolan lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

September 8, 2026
ANGOLA: Urgent concern for the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

On 7 September 2026 Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Observatory of Lawyers at Risk (OIAD) express their profound concern regarding the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi, following a recent threat to his life. The circumstances surrounding the threat remain unclear, raising serious concerns about public safety and the protection of lawyers in the country. The threat is part of broader trend of intensifying tensions in Angola, in the run up to the national elections.

Zola Ferreira Bambi is a human rights lawyer committed to advocating for the rights of human rights activists and vulnerable communities in Angola. Since the early 2000s, he has been at the forefront of documenting and challenging the persecution and judicial harassment of human rights defenders. He has represented activists and journalists in high-profile cases, advocating for freedom of expression and access to justice. Over the past decade, he has also documented and denounced numerous cases of corruption, impunity, abuse of power, forced displacement and police violence. In April 2025, Mr. Bambi’s dedication was internationally recognised when he received the Lawyers for Lawyers Award.

In the morning of September 1st, mr. Bambi received a death threat as he was preparing to attend a hearing before de Luanda Court in his capacity as a lawyer. The proceedings concern a high-profile case involving a high-ranking police officer and relate to allegations concerning the conduct of police forces in an incident that resulted in the death of a woman and left several other individuals seriously injured.  As Mr. Bambi represents the family of the deceased in these proceedings, there is a serious likelihood that the threat received that day is linked to his legal representation of the family in this case.

This alarming message was received amidst rising pressure, persecution, and threats against human rights defenders in Angola. As the country prepares for the national elections scheduled for August 2027, an increasingly tense and repressive climate has emerged in recent weeks, with social tensions and demands being used as a pretext for intimidation, threats, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, and fabricated judicial proceedings against those expressing dissenting views. Activists, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders are increasingly being targeted, and these incidents appear to be intensifying as the elections approach.

ANGOLA: Urgent concern for the safety of lawyer Zola Ferreira Bambi

Posted in Human Rights Defenders, L4L | 1 Comment »
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Amnesty International opens Virtual Museum exploring six decades of human rights activism

September 6, 2026

On 3 September 2026 Amnesty International presented ‘Stories That Resist‘, its first Virtual Museum—an immersive 360° experience that allows visitors to explore 65 years of campaigning, research and collective action in defence of human rights around the world. Developed in the Americas, the initiative aims to introduce the movement’s history to new audiences and inspire more people and future generations to join the defense of human rights. More than a digital archive, Stories That Resist is a space for memory, education and participation that demonstrates what can be achieved when thousands of people organize and act in the face of injustice.

The museum is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, includes accessibility features for all visitors and can be explored free of charge from anywhere in the world.

Across five thematic galleries, visitors can explore more than 50 historical items, including emblematic objects from Amnesty International’s archives, campaigns that defined generations, photographs, videos, awards and testimonies from people who chose to act in the face of injustice.

“The history of Amnesty International is made up of people who refused to remain indifferent. This museum allows us to honour their courage, preserve the memory of our struggles and remind ourselves that every action, however small it may seem, can help transform a life,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.

The museum offers visitors a closer look at some of the most significant moments and honours in Amnesty International’s history, including the story of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the organization in 1977 for its contribution to the defence of human rights. It also features individuals and movements honoured with the Ambassador of Conscience Award, Amnesty International’s highest distinction, presented to those who have confronted injustice and used their voices and actions to inspire millions of people. Recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Ai Weiwei, Alicia Keys, Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement. SEE ALSO: https://trueheroesfilms.com/equip/digest/?sort=most

“Every campaign, every investigation, every object and every person who chose to act is part of this history. Today, that legacy has a new space where it can continue to inspire,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.

Explore Amnesty International’s Virtual Museum, Stories That Resist**:** https://www.museoamnistiainternacional.org/

https://www.museoamnistiainternacional.org

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Thailand: New FIDH report details more than a decade of lèse-majesté abuse

September 4, 2026

A new report published on 2 September 2026 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) sheds light on the severe human rights impacts of the enforcement of Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code (lèse-majesté) since the country’s latest military coup in May 2014.

The report, titled “The unsayable – Q&A on Thailand’s lèse-majesté”, answers 15 frequently asked questions about Article 112 and its implications for human rights, civic space, the media, and democratic development in Thailand.

“The evidence of the serious human rights violation linked to the enforcement of Article 112 is overwhelming and causes great damage to Thailand’s international standing. Reform of Article 112 is long overdue and efforts by Thai civil society to peacefully campaign for such changes should be commended and protected,” said FIDH Vice-President Teppei Ono.

Statistics about lèse-majesté reflect the severity and scope of the human rights violations linked to the enforcement of Article 112. Between May 2014 and July 2026, at least 461 individuals were prosecuted under Article 112, with at least 199 receiving prison sentences. The 10 longest prison sentences imposed under Article 112 averaged approximately 30 years and six months, with the longest sentence reaching 50 years. At least 21 children were prosecuted under Article 112, with the youngest one aged 14.

As of July 2026, 29 individuals remained detained under Article 112. Of these, 12 were detained pending trial or appeal, while the judgments for the remaining 17 had become final. Among those behind bars is prominent pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, who has accumulated a prison term of over 31 years stemming from 11 lèse-majesté convictions for his speeches and online posts that called for monarchy reform. Three additional lèse-majesté cases remain pending.

At the international level, all the relevant key United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms have consistently expressed their concerns over various aspects of the enforcement of Article 112 and declared it incompatible with Thailand’s human rights obligations under international law…

FIDH and TLHR call on states to use Thailand’s fourth UPR to raise their concerns over the ongoing abuse of Article 112 and make recommendations to the Thai government to bring this provision into line with international law. FIDH and TLHR also urge Thai authorities to establish a moratorium on new lèse-majesté prosecutions and to immediately release all those who are being deprived of their liberty under Article 112.

The unsayable – Q&A on Thailand’s lese majeste

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