Human Rights Foundation

With your vote, HRF will be back at SXSW to continue promoting freedom where it’s most at risk! Check out HRF’s six sessions highlighting democracy and human rights with top activists and experts & vote today below. ⬇️ https://buff.ly/3SFPO0X ➡️Threads of Oppression: The Complicity in the Global Supply Chain Did you know you can help eliminate forced labor and modern slavery from your home? This panel will explore how people are discovering the fashion industry and other sectors’ roles in the Uyghur genocide. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/3WAWXk3 ➡️The Nostr Revolution Nostr is going to change the world. This panel will explore how today’s social media networks are flawed and broken. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/46BIwRm ➡️AI, Deepfakes, Drones & Surveillance AI is threatening democracies globally. This panel will explore tactics such as AI-powered surveillance methods, automated warfare, and deepfakes. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/4cj0f1a ➡️The Human Rights Risk of Central Bank Digital Currencies Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are on the rise. This panel will explore why CBDCs pose existential risks for civil liberties. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/3MilXrT ➡️Art in Protest: Fostering Democracy through Creative Dissent Can art help shape the future of democracy? This panel will explore different perspectives and global case studies on how “artivism” can be a potent tool for peaceful, creative dissent by illuminating democratic pathways. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/3WVP2PZ ➡️Cinematic Resistance: Filmmakers Speaking Truth to Power What challenges do activist filmmakers face today? This panel will emphasize the enduring power of film as a medium for social change. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/3YzUV6o 

Vote to bring HRF to SXSW 2025! 👇 What challenges do activist filmmakers face today Featuring filmmaker David Henry Gerson, documentary film director Aunel Arneth Kimbembe Makaya, producer of the Academy Award-winning film “Nalvany” Odessa Rae, and director of “Invisible Nation” Vanessa Hope, this panel will emphasize the enduring power of film as a medium for social change. Vote for HRF’s panel at #SXSW: https://buff.ly/3YzUV6o

"We know that in times of crisis, people who are the most vulnerable are hit hardest and fastest.” Founding Director of Walk Free, Grace Forrest, raised awareness at the 2024 #OsloFF on the complicity of leading economies in the global supply chain, highlighting the alarming increase of modern slavery.

This week marks the three-year anniversary since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. The group has enforced a severe interpretation of Islamic law that has effectively led to the erasure of women from public life, according to UN Women representative Alison Davidian. Under its rule, women’s rights have been systematically violated. The Taliban has prohibited girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade, banned women from attending and teaching at universities, and even barred women from working with NGOs. Since the Taliban’s takeover, millions of Afghans have fled the country to escape persecution and poverty. The UN Migration reported that nearly 3.6 million Afghans left the country from 2021-22 amid a humanitarian crisis. HRF condemns the ongoing human rights violations under the Taliban rule, which have resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, and calls on the international community to hold the Taliban accountable and restore peace and democracy to Afghanistan.

Do you want to help us hold the fashion industry accountable for human rights abuses worldwide? 👖👗 HRF is looking for a motivated Wear Your Values (WYV) intern to contribute to vital research and support impactful social media and creative campaigns. Apply here: https://buff.ly/3YJLdOR

Lobsang Sangay, former president of the Tibetan government, spoke at the 2024 #CollegeFreedomForum on the CCP’s colonization of Tibet and how Tibet offers a model for setting up democratic governments in exile. Watch his full talk here: https://buff.ly/3M6fFvb

On Wednesday, Branch 5 of the Isfahan Revolutionary Court fully acquitted rapper and dissident Toomaj Salehi of corruption on earth and revoked his death sentence. He is still awaiting the results of two more bogus charges. The back-and-forth game of the Iranian courts in regard to Salehi’s charges exemplifies the regime’s absence of legal processes. HRF welcomes Salehi acquittal but demands his immediate and unconditional release and the end of the continuous stream of charges against him for his songs. HRF stands with the rights of Iranians to criticize the regime and express their grievances without fear of reprisal. https://buff.ly/3SNbQ1y

On July 27, a court hearing was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, for Tofig Yagublu, a prominent opposition leader facing 13 years in prison on trumped-up fraud charges. Yagublu was arrested in December 2023 as part of a wider crackdown on the opposition and free media ahead of early presidential elections in Azerbaijan. An outspoken critic of the Aliyev regime, Yagublu has long been subjected to repression. He was arrested on politically motivated charges in 2020 and 2021, and in December 2021, the police brutally beat him during his arrest. Yagublu is an active member of the National Council of Democratic Forces, which has assembled opposition movements and held demonstrations for political prisoners since 2019. HRF calls for the immediate dismissal of charges and the release of Tofig Yagublu and all illegally detained opposition activists and journalists. https://buff.ly/3yCPrxk

On Aug. 3, Ansar Allah de facto officials, more commonly known as the Houthis, stormed the UN Human Rights Office in the Yemeni capital of Sanna, seizing seized documents, furniture, and vehicles and are currently in control of the premises. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned the attack and demanded a return of all seized assets and belongings. In June, the Houthis detained more than 60 people working with the UN and other NGOs, six of whom were local Yemenis working with the Human Rights Office. They are yet to be released, and many were forcibly disappeared. HRF condemns the Houthi seizure and attack of the UN Human Rights Office in Sanaa and demands the release of arrested UN and local NGO staff. https://buff.ly/4dMMhGh

In November, Azerbaijan will host COP29, one of the world’s largest climate change conferences, bringing 70,000 international guests, including top political leaders, to Baku. This surprising choice comes after Armenia withdrew its bid and backed Azerbaijan. While this may seem like a diplomatic gesture, it reflects a deeper power struggle in the South Caucasus. Over the years, Azerbaijan leveraged its battlefield victories and strategic alliances to pressure Armenia into a series of concessions, undermining its democratic foundations. The COP29 decision is not just about climate diplomacy — it’s a glimpse into how authoritarian regimes weaponize international platforms to whitewash their reputation.