Blog Post Jun 28, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #29 This past week, Russian officials detained a Russian-American woman for the “crime” of donating $51.80 to a pro-Ukraine charity. Meanwhile, in China, the regime renamed over 600 villages significant to the Uyghur Muslim minority group in its efforts to further erase Uyghur cultural identity.
Press Release Jun 25, 2024 Iran Supreme Court Overturns Toomaj Salehi’s Death Sentence On June 22, Iran’s Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Iranian hip-hop artist and Havel Prize Laureate Toomaj Salehi.
Press Release Jun 24, 2024 HRF submits joint petition to UNWGAD for Belarusian activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk In late May, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and the Human Rights Center Viasna (Viasna) submitted a joint petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) on behalf of well-known Belarusian pro-democracy activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk.
Announcement Jun 21, 2024 Join HRF at the Roskilde Festival on July 4 Join HRF’s panel, The Power and Risk of Art, at the Festival’s Eos Stage on July 4 at 12:00. Panelists include Alireza Shojaian, Emmanuel Jal, and Natalia Kaliada, displaced artists at the frontlines of democracy-building in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Blog Post Jun 20, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #28 From June 3 to 5, human rights advocates gathered in Norway for the Oslo Freedom Forum to share their stories and reclaim individual rights from authoritarian regimes. During the Financial Freedom track, speakers highlighted how Bitcoin funds counter-terrorism and pro-democracy movements, provides banking services to repressed populations, and safeguards against the risks of central bank digital currencies.
Announcement Jun 19, 2024 Reclaim Democracy: Stories from the Oslo Freedom Forum The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is excited to announce the launch of a new podcast mini-series, “Reclaim Democracy: Stories from the Oslo Freedom Forum,” created in partnership with Foreign Policy.
Press Release Jun 17, 2024 HRF submits joint petition to the United Nations on behalf of Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza On June 3, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) in the case of Russian opposition leader and pro-democracy advocate Vladimir Kara-Murza, along with the Centre de la Protection Internationale (CPI), Freedom House, Free Russia Foundation (FRF), Global Justice Advisors, McCain Institute, and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR).
Blog Post Jun 13, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #27 From June 3 to 5, human rights advocates gathered in Norway for the Oslo Freedom Forum to share their stories and reclaim individual rights from authoritarian regimes. During the Financial Freedom track, speakers highlighted how Bitcoin funds counter-terrorism and pro-democracy movements, provides banking services to repressed populations, and safeguards against the risks of central bank digital currencies.
Publication Jun 12, 2024 #EndSARS human rights defender exiled after police brutality protests takes up fight against disinformation Raphael Adebayo left Nigeria under an alias after he was targeted for being one of the coordinators of the #EndSARS and #ReformPoliceNG movement now, he is tackling disinformation with a new voter education drive.
Press Release Jun 5, 2024 HRF Bitcoin Development Fund Grants One Billion Satoshis to 13 Projects Worldwide The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is pleased to announce 1 billion satoshis of gifts from its Bitcoin Development Fund.
Blog Post May 30, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #26 This week in Nicaragua, the number of political prisoners continues to grow. This time, the targets are journalists and teachers who are arbitrarily detained and often cut off from their banking accounts.
Announcement May 29, 2024 Infiltrating America: New HRF Report on UAE Political Interference The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) published a new report, “Infiltrating America: How the United Arab Emirates Launched an Unprecedented Political Interference Campaign in the United States,” as part of its Combating Kleptocracy program.
Blog Post May 23, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #25 In Hong Kong, officials launched a pilot program for China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the e-CNY, marking its first expansion beyond the mainland. But even under duress, adoption remains limited as many Chinese workers are quickly converting their e-CNY for traditional currency, emphasizing their distrust of centralized digital currencies.
Publication May 17, 2024 Bad Business In my Impromptus today, I have some sports — starting with Simone Biles — and some presidential politics — a lot of that — and some language — the shape-shifting of English — and other matters. Try it here.
Blog Post May 16, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #24 This week in Russia, Vladimir Putin’s “reelection” for a fifth term underscores a deepening authoritarian regime, characterized by stringent control over the financial system and harsh crackdowns on dissenters — a far cry from his pledge to “preserve and develop democracy” when first assuming office in 2000.
Blog Post May 9, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #23 n Nigeria, the director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the government’s intention to delist the naira from peer-to-peer platforms, a move that would effectively trap the public inside the failing currency.
Blog Post May 3, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #22 This week news centered around the harassment of press freedom defenders through financial de-platforming. In Somalia, the regime froze the bank accounts of the Somali Journalist Syndicate (SJS).
Blog Post Apr 28, 2024 HRF’s Weekly Financial Freedom Report #21 Last week, on halving day, the Human Rights Foundation launched the Finney Freedom Prize to honor the legacy of Hal Finney and inspire others to follow in his footsteps. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the fight for electronic privacy and cash becomes more and more important.