Our Impact
In 2024, ESPN highlighted HRF's advocacy in its report “How the NBA got into business with an African dictator” about the National Basketball Association's partnership with the regime of Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame.
The ESPN report led two US senators to summon the NBA for answers on their relationship with the dictatorship.
In 2021, HRF launched the Empty Box Initiative to shed light on the International Olympic Committee’s complicity with dictatorial regimes.
The 2022 Winter Olympics Games took place in China, a country ruled by one of the world’s most infamous dictators and most egregious human rights abusers. Through the Empty Box campaign, HRF joined grassroots activists and concerned global citizens to urge the International Olympic Committee to disinvite dictators from the opening ceremonies — leaving their Olympic box seats empty in protest.
In 2020, we joined hundreds of fans in persuading American hip hop artist Tyga to cancel his performance at a concert sponsored by Belarus’ dictator.
In 2019, our dialogue with hip hop artist Nick Minaj led her to take a principled stand for human rights over the money offered by Saudi Arabia’s dictatorship.
In 2014, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Erykah Badu cancelled her plans to perform for the repressive dictator of The Gambia.
Badu changed her plans after HRF denounced her previous performance at the birthday celebration of King Mswati III of Eswatini in a TIME Magazine column.
In 2011, media criticism generated by HRF forced Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank to publicly apologize for going to the Chechen dictator’s birthday gala.
Swank attended Chechen Republic dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s birthday gala in Grozny, despite a warning from HRF. Following media criticism and another campaign by HRF, Swank agreed to donate the money she received to human rights causes. In response to HRF’s efforts, one enterprising consulting firm in Los Angeles launched a free, confidential service to provide the entertainment industry with information on the human rights records of potential paymasters.
News & Media
Get Involved
Boycott
Boycott events that advance the repressive agendas of authoritarian regimes
Learn
Keep yourself informed about dictators and their manipulation of celebrities and athletes for propaganda
Advocate
Urge your favorite entertainers to stand up against authoritarian regimes and defend democratic values