Press Release May 10, 2026 Wife of Chinese Dissident Artist Gao Zhen Wishes Husband Happy 70th Birthday Today, May 10, 2026, is Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen’s 70th birthday, and he is spending it in a Chinese prison.
Press Release May 10, 2026 HRF Continues to Condemn the Detention of Gao Zhen on his 70th Birthday Today, May 10, 2026, is Gao Zhen’s 70th birthday, and he is spending it in a Chinese prison.
Blog Post May 6, 2026 Reflections On HRF’s “Beyond Borders: Youth Resilience Against the CCP” Conference The following reflection was authored by Norpell Wilberforce, a London-based Tibetan activist, who attended HRF’s Beyond Borders activist workshop. The piece has been edited for clarity and condensed.
Blog Post May 3, 2026 Keeping Uyghur Stories Alive: Q&A with Exiled Uyghur Journalist Tahir Imin Press freedom is under threat globally, as media outlets face mounting challenges that force their closure and a growing number of journalists are thrown behind bars.
Announcement Apr 20, 2026 HRF Brings UN Attention to Rights Abuses in Swaziland, Thailand and Hungary NEW YORK (April 20, 2026) — This month, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted formal contributions to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Swaziland and Thailand, as well as a joint submission for Hungary with the Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI).
Human Rights Dispatch Mar 23, 2026 Thailand silences dissent, Koet Saray detention ruled arbitrary, Moscow shows limited support to Iran. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that Cambodia’s detention of human rights defender Koet Saray is arbitrary and violates international human rights law.
Human Rights Dispatch Apr 1, 2026 Rwandan dissident Déogratias Mushayidi imprisoned 16 years, South Korea formally condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses, demanding Gao Zhen’s release, and more. HRF condemns the one day, closed-door trial of Chinese dissident artist, Gao Zhen, for creating works of art that use satire to criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s human rights abuses.
Press Release Apr 1, 2026 HRF submits UN petition on behalf of Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen NEW YORK (April 1, 2026) — Today, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on behalf of Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, urging the WGAD to declare his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law.
Press Release Mar 26, 2026 HRF Urges South Korea to Reaffirm Leadership on North Korean Human Rights at UN NEW YORK (March 25, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF), in a joint letter with 23 organizations and six individual signatories, calls on South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung to ensure that his government co-sponsors the annual draft resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea at the 61st United Nations Human Rights Council.
Press Release Mar 23, 2026 HRF welcomes UN opinion condemning Cambodia’s detention of Koet Saray NEW YORK (March 23, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the opinion issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) finding that Cambodia’s detention of activist Koet Saray violates international human rights law, following an HRF submission.
Human Rights Dispatch Mar 9, 2026 Ghana Anti-LGBTQ Bill, China Secrecy Crackdown, Kobzev Imprisonment Case and more. Today, Russian lawyer Vadim Kobzev turns 42 in prison. Separated from his wife and three children for doing his job, he spends his birthday alone. HRF condemns his arbitrary detention and calls on the Russian regime to release him immediately and unconditionally.
Press Release Mar 17, 2026 HRF succeeds in UN petition, India condemned for arbitrary detention NEW YORK (Mar. 17, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the favorable opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), which found India’s detention of activist Umar Khalid to be arbitrary and in violation of international human rights law.
Human Rights Dispatch Mar 2, 2026 Kenya detains prominent activist, Hong Kong jails activists father, Volker Türk pressured to address Beijing’s repression, and more. HRF joined @CHRDnet and 24 other civil society organizations calling on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to directly address Beijing’s deepening repression during his February 27 address to the UN Human Rights Council. Silence enables impunity.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 25, 2026 40th anniversary of the People Power Revolution This week marks the 40th anniversary of the People Power Revolution, when hundreds of thousands of Filipinos took to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Manila to oppose two decades of dictatorship under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and demand the restoration of democracy.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 24, 2026 Tanzanian human rights activist abducted, Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj “Trial by Jail” HRF condemns Sunday’s violent abduction of Tanzanian human rights activist Mshabaha Hamza Mshabaha in Kenya in a coordinated operation to forcibly return him to Tanzania. HRF calls on Kenya to ensure his safety and hold Tanzania accountable for its campaign of transnational repression on Kenyan soil.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 20, 2026 Gabon Social Media Ban, Kim Dynasty Propaganda North Korea’s regime is elevating a 13‑year‑old to unprecedented visibility while millions of North Koreans face starvation, surveillance, and imprisonment. Whatever Pyongyang’s succession plan may be, the Kim dynasty continues to protect its power — never its people.
Announcement Feb 19, 2026 The international community must call for the immediate release of Umar Khalid On Jan. 5, 2026, the Indian Supreme Court denied bail to human rights defender and student activist Umar Khalid, who has been detained for over five years without trial, in violation of India’s obligations under international human rights law.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 19, 2026 Call for Unconditional Release of Umar Khalid The Human Rights Foundation (HRF), along with @Hindus4HR, @DAHRD_Official, @AIIndia, @InSAFIndia, @IAMCouncil, @UKIMC, @ScottishIndians, @IndiaAllianceParis, @SouthAsiaSolidarityUK, @StopRepression, @IndiaLabourSolidarity, @FreedomHouse, and @OBS_defenders urge the international community to take urgent and coordinated action to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Umar Khalid.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 13, 2026 Senegalese police assault public university, Tanzanian opposition leader trial delayed and conviction of Kwok Yin-sang. HRF condemns the prolonged delays in the Tanzanian regime’s show trial of arbitrarily detained opposition leader Tundu Lissu, and the restrictive detention conditions imposed on him nearly 10 months after he was arrested for calling for democratic reforms. HRF joins calls to unconditionally #FreeTunduLissu.
Human Rights Dispatch Feb 12, 2026 Fundamentalism rising in Bangladesh. HRF is deeply concerned about the rise of fundamentalism and the restrictions on women’s rights ahead of Bangladesh’s Feb. 12 election. HRF urges the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, @Yunus_Centre, to ensure a free and fair election and the inclusion of women and other marginalized groups.
