Impact Litigation

About

Our Impact Litigation team provides pro bono international legal representation to prisoners of conscience whose cases are emblematic examples of the brutality of dictatorships.

In authoritarian regimes, there is no separation of powers, resulting in a lack of judicial independence. Legal proceedings are a mere formality, and critics of the regime are often harassed, arrested, detained, tortured, and forcibly disappeared. They are unable to seek independent judicial review and obtain redress domestically.

HRF’s Impact Litigation program addresses the inadequacies of judicial systems in authoritarian regimes, offers remedies for pursuing justice, and provides urgent humanitarian relief to victims.

Our Strategy

Advocacy

We advocate for human rights defenders through multi-pronged campaigns, videos, op-eds, and Universal Periodic Review submissions to the UN Human Rights Council, among other means. By drawing global attention to our clients’ cases, we increase pressure on regimes that suppress dissent by taking political prisoners, for instance. Our work shines a light on the injustices of authoritarianism.

Litigation

We litigate on behalf of prisoners of conscience before international courts and semi-judicial bodies. Our team of international attorneys takes cases to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and other international bodies to secure positive outcomes for our clients. Using international law, we argue for our clients’ release, to ensure that their rights are respected.

RIGHT Coalition

The Resisting Illegal Government Detentions and Hostage-Takings (RIGHT) Coalition is a network that advocates on behalf of unjustly targeted individuals who are arbitrarily detained or taken hostage. We aim to secure their safe, immediate, and unconditional release, seek justice and rehabilitation for victims, provide support to their families, pursue accountability for perpetrators and more.

Our Initiatives

HRF highlights the experiences of political prisoners in their own words, through letters and other communications they have bravely shared with the world.

This campaign put the spotlight on eight prisoners of conscience, a direct counterpoint to Xi Jinping’s US visit that ensured the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses could not be ignored.

Our Impact

complaints and urgent appeals submitted on behalf of victims

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countries represented through our complaints and urgent appeals

Universal Periodic Reviews submitted to the UN Human Rights Council

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Who We Represent

Mahrang Baloch

Detained

Country

Pakistan

Status

Two life sentences

UNWGAD

Petition Submitted

Gao Zhen

Detained

Country

China

Status

Sentenced: 3yrs

UNWGAD

Petition Submitted

Vadim Kobzev and Alexei Liptser

Detained

Country

Russia

Status

Sentenced: 5yrs

UNWGAD

Petition Submitted

Victoire Ingabire

Detained

Country

Rwanda

Status

In pre-trial detention

UNWGAD

Opinion Received

Dare to Dissent

Dare to Dissent is a video series that tells the stories of the brave individuals we have represented before the UNWGAD and other mechanisms. The videos shed light on their cases and the human rights abuses they have endured.