The Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) brings together the world’s most engaging human rights advocates, journalists, artists, tech entrepreneurs, and world leaders. Join us as we share their stories and imagine ways to expand freedom and unleash human potential across the globe.
Vladimir Kara-Murza and Evgenia Kara-Murza in Conversation with Sir William Browder
In April 2022, prominent Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested for “high treason” and sentenced to 25 years. Now, after being released in a historic US-Russia prisoner exchange last August, he is finally able to join us again at OFF. Witness the courageous dissidence of Vladimir and Evgenia Kara-Murza as they share their first-hand experiences of the Russian repression and the struggle for human rights in conversation with Sir William Browder. Browder is a financier, author, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, and, notably, the head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign. After the death of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, Browder spearheaded the Global Magnitsky Act, targeting human rights abusers and corrupt officials with visa bans and asset freezes. Hear from three powerhouses fiercely committed to holding Vladimir Putin and his cronies accountable.
AI for Individual Rights
As open-source AI reaches new heights, so does its potential for both liberation and control. HRF’s groundbreaking AI for Individual Rights Program is the first fully sovereign initiative dedicated to confronting the use of AI by authoritarian regimes. Join us for its official launch and explore bold, cutting-edge strategies to track and expose how autocrats weaponize AI to repress, surveil, and silence. Discover how this innovative program empowers dissidents fighting back — and how you can help turn the tools of control into instruments of resistance.
Live Debate: Are Sanctions Effective?
Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking debate, presented in partnership with Open to Debate and moderated by host John Donvan. As authoritarian influence spreads, democratic nations increasingly rely on economic sanctions — but do they work? Explore this urgent question with leading voices in law, policy, and activism, including Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López, decorated litigator Artie McConnell, Chatham House senior fellow for Latin America Dr. Chris Sabatini, and senior policy director at Darmouth’s Dickey Center for International Understanding Elizabeth Shackelford. From deterring repression to unintended civilian harm, this high-stakes exchange will thoroughly examine the true impact of sanctions on global politics. Don’t miss this timely, dynamic debate on one of foreign policy’s most hotly contested tools.
Building Mental Resilience
Standing up to autocracy requires extraordinary courage — and just as much care. At OFF, HRF honors the strength of activists and allies by supporting not only their fight but their fortitude. Step into transformative sessions, led by world-renowned pioneers in psychology, trauma, and somatic healing — including Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Dan Siegel, Dr. Trudy Goodman, Jack Saul, and Jack Kornfield — as they uplift those on the front lines with tools, knowledge, and space to heal and recharge. For a moment of calm amid the powerful programming, our Resilience Lounge will offer creative outlets for stress relief, soothing massages from a certified therapist, or conversations with wellness professionals during dedicated hours.
“The Guilty Will Kneel” Art Exhibition
Atelie Gallery, Munkedamsveien 29
Each year at OFF, a tremendous array of musicians, performers, filmmakers, and visual artists creatively challenge tyranny through their crafts. This year, experience “The Guilty Will Kneel” — a group exhibition that spotlights seven impactful artists from the Asia-Pacific region — Sai XXXX, K, Ma (Burma), The Gao Brothers (China), Sanmu Chen (Hong Kong), and Tenzing Rigdol (Tibet). In a moving indictment of oppressive regimes, these extraordinary artists confront authoritarianism directly, without euphemism, through their art.
Encounter unwavering resistance and defiance of tyranny through the emotional force of creative dissent in a new venue for the Forum: Atelie, a contemporary art space located at Munkedamsveien 29, directly across from the National Museum in Oslo.
Find regular updates about the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum at oslofreedomforum.com and on social media.
If you are interested in sponsoring the Oslo Freedom Forum, please contact [email protected]. If you are interested in attending as a member of the media, please contact [email protected].
If you are interested in bringing your family to the OFF Camp for Kids, please contact [email protected]. OFF Camp for Kids is an interdisciplinary human rights
camp that includes fun activities, sports, and educational programming around the city of Oslo.
