Publication May 7, 2025 Condemning the Hong Kong government’s escalating repression of activists in exile and their family members in Hong Kong We, the undersigned civil society and human rights organizations, strongly condemn the Hong Kong government’s escalating repression of activists in exile and their family members in Hong Kong.
Blog Post May 6, 2025 My Reflections on Bitcoin as Freedom Money in Thailand & Burma My name is Win Ko Ko Aung, and I am a global bitcoin adoption fellow at HRF. I help nonprofits operating under authoritarian regimes explore Bitcoin as a tool for financial freedom.
Press Release May 6, 2025 Bolivia: HRF advierte que jueces que ignoran decisión de la ONU se enfrentarán a sanciones Magnitsky La Human Rights Foundation (HRF) condena enérgicamente al Tribunal de Sentencia Penal, Anticorrupción y Violencia Contra la Mujer Sexto de la ciudad de La Paz, presidido por el juez Marco Antonio Vargas, por su negativa a acatar una decisión emitida en marzo de 2025 por el Grupo de Trabajo sobre la Detención Arbitraria de las Naciones Unidas (GTDA), que determinó que la detención preventiva del gobernador de Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, es arbitraria y viola el derecho internacional.
Press Release May 6, 2025 Bolivia: HRF warns judges ignoring UN decision will face Magnitsky sanctions The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) strongly condemns Bolivia’s Sixth Court for Criminal, Anti-Corruption, and Violence Against Women Matters in La Paz, presided over by Judge Marco Antonio Vargas, for its refusal to comply with a March 2025 decision issued by the United Nations
Press Release Apr 25, 2025 Venezuela’s Maduro Continues to Use Tren de Aragua for Transnational Repression, Kidnapping, Assassination The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) condemns Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro for using the Tren de Aragua criminal network to target and eliminate dissidents beyond Venezuela’s borders. New evidence from a Chilean prosecutor’s investigation has confirmed that the February 2024 abduction and assassination of former Venezuelan army lieutenant Ronald Ojeda in Chile was a politically motivated murder, ordered by Maduro’s regime and executed by members of Tren de Aragua.
Press Release Apr 24, 2025 HRF submits case of Cambodian activist Koet Saray to UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Earlier this month, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted the case of Cambodian environmental and human rights activist Koet Saray to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD).
Blog Post Apr 14, 2025 How China Uses Financial Repression to Erase the Uyghur People Rushan Abbas has spent years fighting for the freedom of her people, the Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic group in the Uyghur Region, located in northwest China.
Publication Apr 11, 2025 Hong Kong: Solidarity with artist Badiucao as he faces legal harassment The undersigned organisations condemn the harassment of artist, political cartoonist, and activist Badiucao, which has taken place via email, in the media, and on social media in the last week.
Press Release Apr 8, 2025 HRF succeeds in Uzbekistan case: UN calls for immediate release of Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) received a favorable opinion from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), which found that Uzbekistan’s detention of Karakalpak activist and lawyer, Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, is arbitrary and violates fundamental international human rights law.
Press Release Apr 1, 2025 HRF Brings UN Attention to Rights Abuses in Four Countries Last week, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted contributions to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review regarding Belarus, Honduras, Libya, and Malawi.
Press Release Mar 28, 2025 HRF succeeds in UN petition: Bolivia condemned for arbitrary detention of democratically elected governor The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) ruling that the arrest of Santa Cruz Governor Luiz Fernando Camacho in Bolivia was arbitrary and in violation of international law. HRF submitted the petition on behalf of Camacho in February 2023.
Op-Ed Mar 19, 2025 Kirsty Coventry—the Soft Face of Zimbabwe’s Dictatorship—Could Be the Next President of the IOC | Opinion The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to select a new president this week to succeed Thomas Bach. In a field of seven candidates, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, Africa’s most decorated Olympian, could make history as the first woman to head the IOC.
Press Release Mar 14, 2025 HRF succeeds in UN petition, Iran condemned for arbitrary detention The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) ruling that Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi’s two arrests and more than 753 days of detention were arbitrary and in violation of international law.
Press Release Mar 12, 2025 HRF celebrates the release of ‘Rule Breakers,’ a movie on Afghanistan’s Roya Mahboob “Rule Breakers,” in theaters now, tells the true, inspiring story of Afghan tech entrepreneur, HRF friend, and Oslo Freedom Forum speaker Roya Mahboob, who took the great risk of teaching young girls in Afghanistan about technology and robotics.
Blog Post Mar 11, 2025 The Playbook: How Syria’s brutal Assad regime used football to maintain power Welcome to The Playbook, an explainer series from HRF’s Sports & Dictators program that explores the intersection of sports and politics in authoritarian regimes and decodes the disturbing narratives behind the games we love.
Op-Ed May 6, 2025 How Years of American Policy Bumbling Boosted Putin Alexander Vindman argues that U.S. missteps and naïveté created the conditions for Russian imperialism’s return.
Press Release Feb 25, 2025 HRF celebrates the release of Belarusian dissident Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) celebrates the release of Belarusian dissident Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, who was released on Feb. 2, after spending 1,491 days in arbitrary detention.
Announcement Feb 24, 2025 Chevron and Harry Sargeant Are Financing Dictator Nicolas Maduro — When Will the U.S. Stop It? Venezuelan dictator and drug cartel kingpin Nicolas Maduro has a $25 million bounty on his head.
Video Series Feb 24, 2025 The Case of Marat Zhylanbaev On May 3, 2023, human rights activist and leader of the opposition party, “Alga Kazakhstan,” Marat Zhylanbaev, was arrested on administrative charges for participating in an “illegal” protest. Upon completing his administrative detention on May 23, he was immediately re-arrested on criminal charges for alleged participation in and financing so-called “extremist” activities.
Publication Feb 24, 2025 John Legend’s Kigali Concert: A Night of Music Amidst Regional Tensions Grammy award-winning artist John Legend delivered a mesmerizing performance in Kigali, Rwanda, on February 21, 2025, despite mounting pressure to cancel the show..
