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{{Short description|Human rights non-government organisation}}
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{{For|similar organizations|Human Rights Foundation (New Zealand)|Human Rights Foundation of Turkey}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Human Rights Foundation
| logo = Human Rights Foundation logo.svg
| logo_size = 132px
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| founded_date = {{start date and age|2005}}
| founder = ]
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = ]
| location = ]<br>]
| origins =
| key_people =
| area_served = Global
| product =
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The '''Human Rights Foundation''' ('''HRF''') is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting and protecting human rights globally, with an emphasis on closed societies.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Our Mission |url=https://hrf.org/about/mission/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=hrf.org |language=en-US}}</ref> HRF organizes the ]. The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by ], a Venezuelan film producer and human rights advocate. The current chairman is Russian opposition activist ], and ] is the current chief legal officer. The foundation's head office is in the ] in ].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Simmons |first1=Ann |date=2018-03-20 |title=Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov warns of a Russia increasingly devoid of freedoms |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-garry-kasparov-qa-20180319-story.html |access-date=12 March 2019 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2018 Global Americans New Generation of Public Intellectuals |date=14 June 2018 |url=https://theglobalamericans.org/2018/06/2018-global-americans-new-generation-of-public-intellectuals/ |publisher=Global Americans |access-date=24 March 2019 |archive-date=24 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324214758/https://theglobalamericans.org/2018/06/2018-global-americans-new-generation-of-public-intellectuals/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Organization==
The '''Human Rights Foundation''' ('''HRF''') is a non-profit organization that, according to its mission statement, works on “defending human rights and promoting liberal democracy in the Americas.”<ref> Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.</ref> The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by film producer ]. Its head office is in ].
HRF's website states that it adheres to the definition of ] as put forth in the ] (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to ], the right to ] in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of ], the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and ] under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or ], freedom from slavery and ], and freedom from interference and ] in matters of ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}


According to the ''New York Times'', HRF "has helped smuggle activists out of repressive countries, provided many with broader exposure and connected others with prominent financiers and technologists".<ref>{{cite news | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/sunday-review/the-worlds-dissidents-have-their-say.html | title =The World's Dissidents Have Their Say | last =Kahim | first =Danny | date =Oct 25, 2014 | work = New York Times}}</ref>
==Philosophy==


On 1 July 2024, Navalnaya was announced as the chairperson of Human Rights Foundation, succeeding ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Юлия Навальная стала председателем правозащитной организации Human Rights Foundation вместо Гарри Каспарова |url=https://meduza.io/news/2024/07/01/yuliya-navalnaya-stala-predsedatelem-pravozaschitnoy-organizatsii-human-rights-foundation-vmesto-garri-kasparova |trans-title=Yulia Navalnaya becomes chairperson of civil rights foundation Human Rights Foundation in place of Garry Kasparov |access-date=1 July 2024 |work=Meduza |date=1 July 2024 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Navalnaya Elected Head Of Human Rights Foundation, Succeeding Kasparov |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalnaya-human-rights-foundation-kasparov/33017558.html |access-date=1 July 2024 |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |date=1 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
The Human Rights Foundation maintains that although current debates about whether it is possible to define universal economic and cultural rights are useful and important, those debates tend to divide those who would otherwise be strong allies in the struggle for rights. Its definition of human rights sidesteps those debates, focusing instead on the essential ideals of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}


The foundation had net assets of approximately US$34 million in 2022.<ref>, p. 3</ref>
Accordingly, the Human Rights Foundation adheres to the definition of human rights as put forth in the ] (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to speak freely, the right to worship in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of property, the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and due process under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or exile, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom from interference and coercion in matters of conscience.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}


==Oslo Freedom Forum==
In particular, the Human Rights Foundation seeks to sustain the struggle for liberty in those areas where it is presently under threat.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}
The ] is an annual HRF conference in Oslo, Norway, supported by several grant-giving institutions in Scandinavia and the United States through HRF. Donors include ], the City of Oslo, the ], the ], the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amnesty International Norway, Plan Norway, the ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=NHC partners with Oslo Freedom Forum |url=https://www.nhc.no/en/nhc-partners-with-oslo-freedom-forum/ |website=Norwegian Helsinki Committee |date=10 May 2011 |access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> The forum is funded in part by the municipality of Oslo, the Norwegian Ministry of affairs, and the Fritt ord Foundation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vermes |first1=Thomas |title=Thor Halvorssen åpnet Oslo Freedom Forum 2016: – FN blir styrt av diktaturer! |date=23 May 2016 |url=https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/verden/2016/05/23/195218529/fn-blir-styrt-av-diktaturer |publisher=ABC Nyheter |access-date=22 March 2019}}</ref>


==In different countries==
==Methodology==
The Human Rights Foundation operates by its own definition of ]. According to the organisation's website, this means that it is willing to make public all of its research and it claims to be open to accepting new information and criticisms that might undermine its positions.<ref> Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.</ref> However, in spite of these claims, the HRF does not publish annual financial reports and accounts (the latest accounts found on the HRF website are for 2006) nor information about who funds the organisation.<ref> Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved May 2009.</ref>


=== Belarus ===
==International Council==
During the ], the ] documented more than 450 cases of ] and ill-treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OHCHR {{!}} UN human rights experts: Belarus must stop torturing protesters and prevent enforced disappearances |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26199&LangID=E |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=www.ohchr.org}}</ref> At the end of 2020, the ] documented 1,000 testimonies of torture victims.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2020. Analytical Review by Viasna |url=http://spring96.org/en/news/101223 |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=spring96.org |date=8 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref> HRF sent letters to fifteen officers of law enforcement agencies of Belarus and officials of the government of the country, in which it called on them to voluntarily resign and warned them of responsibility for the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Фонд защиты прав человека рассылает предупреждения силовикам Беларуси |url=https://www.golosameriki.com/a/anna-plotnikova-belarus/5549553.html |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=ГОЛОС АМЕРИКИ |date=19 August 2020 |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-19 |title=HRF Sends Letters to Belarusian Security Officers Accused of Crimes Against Humanity |url=https://hrf.org/hrf-sends-letters-to-belarusian-security-officers-accused-of-crimes-against-humanity/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=Human Rights Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>
The International Council of the Human Rights Foundation includes former political prisoners ], ], ], ], ], and ], as well as law professor ], chess grandmaster ], former Estonian prime minister ], political commentator ], and public policy professor ].


===China===
==Projects and Cases==
In 2011, HRF announced its membership in the International Committee to Support Liu Xiaobo. The committee consists of a "coalition composed of six Nobel Peace Prize winners and 15 non-governmental organizations," formed to defend, and advocate for the release of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate ] and his wife Liu Xia, both detained in China.<ref>{{cite web |title=China: Joint Statement by International Support Committee to Liu Xiaobo |date=12 October 2012 |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/12/china-joint-statement-international-support-committee-liu-xiaobo |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref>
===Human Rights in Venezuela===
The Human Rights Foundation published four reports in November 2006, all case studies of human rights violations in Venezuela.<ref> Human Rights Foundation. Retrieved 10 December 2006.</ref> In January 2008, Human Rights Foundation researcher, Monica Fernandez, was shot and wounded in Caracas.<ref>{{cite web|title = Mónica Fernández herida en suceso producido en la urbanización El Márques|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.eluniversal.com/2008/01/05/suc_ava_monica-fernandez-her_05A1287007.shtml|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref> Fernandez has been described as "an enemy of the state" in Venezuelan State media.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}


===University Work=== ===Cuba===
In September 2012, HRF founder Thor Halvorssen wrote an open letter to Ted Marlow, CEO of ], urging him to reconsider Urban Outfitters' sale of Che Guevara emblazoned merchandise "for the sake of the thousands who perished in the Cuban revolution, and for the sake of the 11 million Cubans who still endure a totalitarian system".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thor-halvorssen/an-open-letter-to-urban-o_b_1895353.html | title=An Open Letter to Urban Outfitters Regarding Their Che Guevara Merchandise | publisher=Huffington Post | date=2012-09-19 | access-date=2012-09-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mangu-Ward |first1=Katherine |title=Hey Urban Outfitters: Che Guevara Was a Murderer and Your Poster Is Not Cool |date=19 September 2012 |url=https://reason.com/2012/09/19/hey-urban-outfitters-che-guevara-was-a-m/ |publisher=Reason Magazine}}</ref> It was reported that in October 2012 Urban Outfitters removed the merchandise in response to the outrage.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carrasquillo|first=Adrian|title=Urban Outfitters removes Che Guevara merchandise after outrage|url=http://nbclatino.com/2012/10/29/urban-outfitters-removes-che-guevara-merchandise-after-outrage/|work=NBC Latino|access-date=November 1, 2012|archive-date=November 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101033720/http://nbclatino.com/2012/10/29/urban-outfitters-removes-che-guevara-merchandise-after-outrage/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
HRF is also in the midst of starting university campus branches willing to support and sponsor events concerning HRF's mission, to support freedom in the Americas. The first campus to begin a branch of the Human Rights Foundation is ] in ].{{Fact|date=May 2009}}


In May 2013, HRF awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent to The Ladies in White (Las Damas de Blanco). In 2015, the award was given to Danilo Maldonado, El Sexto,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tillotson |first1=Louise |title=Cuban protest artist El Sexto: 'You have to keep at it until you change their minds' |date=21 December 2015 |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/12/cuban-protest-artist-el-sexto-interview/ |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> a Cuban graffiti artist and activist who was arrested in December 2014 for trying to stage a performance art piece in the center of Havana.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.diariolasamericas.com/4847_cuba/2857771_detienen-grafitero-cubano-danilo-maldonado.html | title=Detienen a grafitero cubano que desafió al Gobierno | work=Diario Las Americas | access-date=May 26, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527040723/http://www.diariolasamericas.com/4847_cuba/2857771_detienen-grafitero-cubano-danilo-maldonado.html | archive-date=May 27, 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Defense of Guadalupe Llori in Ecuador===


In July 2014, HRF submitted a petition to the UN Special Rapporteur requesting an appeal to the government of Cuba on the assault of Roberto de Jesus Guerra Perez, a Cuban journalist and founder of Centro de Informacion Hablemos Press.<ref>{{cite web |title=Human Rights Foundation Demands UN Action over Assault on Cuban Journalist |url=https://panampost.com/panam-staff/2014/07/31/human-rights-foundation-demands-un-action-over-assault-of-cuban-journalist/ |publisher=The Panama Post |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-date=28 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428035154/https://panampost.com/panam-staff/2014/07/31/human-rights-foundation-demands-un-action-over-assault-of-cuban-journalist/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Human Rights Foundation declared governor Guadalupe Llori a prisoner of conscience and political prisoner.{{Fact|date=May 2009}} ] argued similarly afterwards.<ref>{{cite web|title = Guadalupe Llori (f), governor (prefecta) of the province of Orellana|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/1188|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref> According to the Human Rights Foundation Llori was imprisoned on trumped terrorism charges by the government Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.{{Fact|date=May 2009}} She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months.{{Fact|date=May 2009}} The Human Rights Foundation filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori.<ref>{{cite web|title = HRF pide a la ONU que solicite la liberación inmediata de Guadalupe Llori|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://terranoticias.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/hrf-onu-guadalupe-llori-2719751.htm|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref> The HRF was also the only international human rights organization that visited, twice, Guadalupe Llori while in prison.<ref>{{cite web|title = Delegados de DD.HH. visitaron a G. Llori|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=222774&id_seccion=28|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref> She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign and credited HRF with her release.{{Fact|date=May 2009}} She was re-elected governor of Orellana in April 2009.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}


===Dominican Republic===
===Defense of Jose Miguel Vivanco and criticism of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe===
'']: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry'' (2007) is a feature-length documentary film about exploitation in the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic. The film, narrated by ], suggests that the descendants of African slaves, brought over from Haiti, live and work in unfair conditions akin to "modern day slavery". HRF produced and provided the funding for the documentary film ''The Sugar Babies''. It was first screened at ] on June 27, 2007. The documentary about ] of ]ans in the ] drew protest from the ], one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film.<ref> Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 11 July 2007.</ref>


===Ecuador===
The Human Rights Foundation published a defense of Human Rights Watch Latin America director after he was referred to as a "defender," "agent," and "accomplice" of the ] rebel organization in Colombia. HRF chairman called on ] to apologize.<ref>{{cite web|title = Respaldo a Vivanco|publisher = '']''|url = http://www.eltiempo.com/opinion/columnistas/otroscolumnistas/respaldo-a-vivanco_4659371-1|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref>
In March 2008 HRF wrote to ]ian President ] asking for the release of the imprisoned governor of the province of Orellana, ], implying that the charges against her were politically motivated.<ref>{{cite web|title = Carta al Presidente Rafael Correa sobre la detencion de Guadalupe Llori|publisher = Human Rights Foundation|date = March 18, 2008|url = http://lahrf.com/reports/Llori/CorreaCartaMarzo08.pdf|access-date = 2009-11-27|archive-date = 2008-05-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513044225/http://lahrf.com/reports/Llori/CorreaCartaMarzo08.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref> Later in March ] declared that governor Llori may be a ] and a ]<ref>{{cite web|title = Guadalupe Llori (f), governor (prefecta) of the province of Orellana|publisher = ]|date = March 25, 2008|url = http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/1188|access-date = 2009-05-05|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://archive.today/20090404031826/http://www.isavelives.be/en/node/1188|archive-date = April 4, 2009}}</ref> According to HRF Llori was imprisoned on trumped up terrorism charges by the government.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baird |first1=Vanessa |title=Endgame in the Amazon |date=2 July 2008 |url=https://newint.org/features/2008/07/01/yasuni-keynote |publisher=New Internationalist |access-date=17 March 2019}}</ref> She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months. HRF filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori.<ref>{{cite web|title = HRF pide a la ONU que solicite la liberación inmediata de Guadalupe Llori|publisher = ]|date = September 9, 2008|url = http://terranoticias.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/hrf-onu-guadalupe-llori-2719751.htm|access-date = 2009-05-05|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100106061458/http://terranoticias.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/hrf-onu-guadalupe-llori-2719751.htm|archive-date = January 6, 2010|url-status = dead|df = mdy-all}}</ref> HRF visited her in prison.<ref>{{cite web|title=Delegados de DD.HH. visitaron a G. Llori |publisher=] |date=September 18, 2008 |url=http://www.elcomercio.com/Generales/Solo-Texto.aspx?gn3articleID=222799 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527052845/http://www.elcomercio.com/Generales/Solo-Texto.aspx?gn3articleID=222799 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |access-date=2009-05-05 }}</ref> She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign and credited HRF with her release.<ref>{{cite web|title = "Soy la primera víctima de la Revolución Ciudadana": Guadalupe Llori|publisher = ]|date = 2008-09-24|url = http://www.eltiempo.com.ec/noticias-cuenca/2986-guadalupe-llori-recupera-su-libertad|access-date = 2009-05-06|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719134353/http://www.eltiempo.com.ec/noticias-cuenca/2986-guadalupe-llori-recupera-su-libertad|archive-date = 2011-07-19}}</ref>


===Equatorial Guinea===
===National Review Symposium on Augusto Pinochet===
In August 2012, HRF called for former US President ], who according to tax documents is the "honorary chairman" of the Leon H Sullivan Foundation, to revoke the foundation's decision to allow Teodoro Obiang to host their Sullivan Summit. Of Clinton, Halvorssen said "Mr Clinton's wife is US Secretary of State...It seems perplexing that he would allow himself to be so closely associated with a vile dictator."<ref name="Speakers pull out">{{cite news|last=Adams|first=Guy|title=Speakers pull out of Obiang charity bash|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/speakers-pull-out-of-obiang-charity-bash-8008869.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=6 August 2012}}</ref>


===Haiti===
After the death of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in December 2006 the American conservative magazine National Review invited five writers to submit articles about the legacy of Pinochet. HRF's staffmember Thor Halvorssen wrote one of the articles and caused furor in the conservative magazine when he disagreed with all of the other writers--who praised Pinochet--and instead attacked him as a "torturer" and "murderer." Dozens of commentators and bloggers covered the controversy with all of them praising HRF for its unequivocal position on a dictator whether left or right wing: "He shut down parliament, suffocated political life, banned trade unions, and made Chile his sultanate. His government disappeared 3,000 opponents, arrested 30,000 (torturing thousands of them), and controlled the country until 1990. ... Pinochet’s name will forever be linked to the Desaparecidos, the Caravan of Death, and the institutionalized torture that took place in the Villa Grimaldi complex."<ref>{{cite web|title = Pinochet is history but how will it remember him?|publisher = '']|date = ]|''|url = http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDQxNTJlM2M4OTRhOGJhNTMzNTkyNDQ2YmYzMTU3ZTU=#more|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref>
Following the 2010 earthquake that took place in Haiti, HRF began a fundraising campaign for a food program devoted to the children of the St Clare's community of Port-au-Prince. The program was started in 2000 by American author Margaret Trost and by ], a former ] ] who served as the priest of the St. Clare's community. The campaign aimed at providing 160,000 meals for children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://humanrightsfoundation.org/news/celebrities-join-hrfs-haiti-relief-program-00175|title=Celebrities Join HRF's Haiti Relief Program|publisher=Human Rights Foundation|date=2010-01-27|access-date=2013-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114004747/http://humanrightsfoundation.org/news/celebrities-join-hrfs-haiti-relief-program-00175|archive-date=2013-11-14|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Frogmeni |first1=Bill |title=Haitian activist priest Jean-Juste dies at 62 |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/haitian-activist-priest-jean-juste-dies-62 |publisher=National Catholic Reporter |access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What If? Foundation History |url=https://whatiffoundation.org/about/history/ |publisher=WhatIf? Foundation |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903123543/http://whatiffoundation.org/about/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


===North Korea===
===Support for RCTV television against "shutdown" in Venezuela===
{{Further|Balloon campaigns in Korea}}
In 2015, the Human Rights Foundation has helped to organize and bankroll a balloon drop of 10,000 copies of an edited version of the movie '']'' over North Korea. Previously, the HRF "has financed balloon drops of pamphlets, TV shows, books and movies over a course of several years, though nothing as high-profile and crudely belittling to Kim Jong Un as is ''The Interview''."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bond|first1=Paul|title=Largest Balloon Drop of 'The Interview' Underway Over North Korea (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/largest-balloon-drop-interview-underway-786309|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=15 April 2015 |access-date=16 April 2015|ref=hrwballoon}}</ref>


According to ''Wired'', HRF's North Korea program is "an initiative that unites activists in Korea with technologists and campaigners in the West."<ref>{{cite magazine| last =Hodges| first =Michael| title =Hacking North Korea| magazine =Wired| date =Mar 2, 2015| url =https://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2015/04/features/hacking-north-korea}}</ref>
The Human Right Foundation accused the Venezuelan government of "shutting down" the RCTV television station in Venezuela after its broadcast license was pulled.{{Fact|date=May 2009}} HRF created a site that features information about the "shutdown", a countdown, and a video of Hugo Chavez's comments on press critics.<ref>{{cite web|title = FREERCTV.COM - Short Film on Censorship|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yegesq84hn0|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref> In fact, RCTV was not shut-down at all, its public broadcasting license was not renewed, but it continues to broadcast on cable TV.<ref></ref>
In 2014, HRF hosted the world's first ] for North Korea at ]'s offices in San Francisco. According to the ''Wall Street Journal'', "about 100 hackers, coders and engineers gathered in San Francisco to brainstorm ways to pierce the information divide that separates North Korea from the rest of the world."<ref>{{cite web| last =Cheng| first =Jonathan| title =Silicon Valley takes on North Korea| work =Wall Street Journal| date =August 5, 2014| url =https://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2014/08/05/silicon-valley-hackers-take-on-north-korea/}}</ref>


In 2016, the HRF smuggled ] with films and television shows to expose North Koreans to popular culture from overseas.<ref name="theguardianflashdrivesforfreedom">{{cite news|last1=Hands|first1=Jack|title=Flashdrives for freedom? 20,000 USBs to be smuggled into North Korea|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/flashdrives-for-freedom-north-korea-20000-usb-sticks|access-date=March 18, 2017|work=The Guardian|date=March 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name="reasonhowactivistsareusing">{{cite web|last1=Bragg|first1=Austin|last2=Bragg|first2=Meredith|last3=Detrick|first3=Paul|title=#SXSW: How Activists Are Using Technology to Fight Dictators|url=https://reason.com/reasontv/2017/03/15/sxsw-how-activists-are-using-technology|website=Reason Foundation|access-date=March 18, 2017|date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> The flash drives were called "flash drives for freedom".<ref name="theguardianflashdrivesforfreedom"/>
===Documentary Film Involving Slave Trafficking in Dominican Republic===
The Human Rights Foundation screened its documentary film "The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry", at ] on June 27, 2007. The documentary about ] of ] in the ] drew protest from both ] government officials and from the ] family, one of the largest beneficiaries of the ] depicted in the film, with a sugar empire that dwarfs the U.S. Sugar Corporation.
<ref> Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 11 July 2007.</ref>


===Swaziland===
HRF was strongly attacked by the government of the Dominican Republic for producing a documentary that alleged that the country's two richest families: Vicini and Fanjul billionaires had engaged in human trafficking from Dominican Republic. The Human Rights Foundation was criticized as anti-capitalist and as being part of an enormous campaign of defamation against the Dominican Republic. Subsequently, the American media published allegations that the Dominican government has engaged in bribery of journalists reviewing the film to give the film a bad review.<ref>{{cite web|title = Sweet Truth: A filmmaker's exposé peeves the sugar powers.|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2008-05-29/news/sweet-truth&page=1%22|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref>
In 2014, HRF invited Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum. He was later jailed for "defaming the King's justice system".<ref>{{cite web| title =Africa's Game of Thrones| work =The Atlantic| date =Apr 18, 2014| url =https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/04/africas-game-of-thrones/360864/}}</ref>


After a sustained media international campaign, Maseko was eventually freed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maseko v R |url=https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/the-case-of-bheki-makhubu-thulani-maseko/ |publisher=Global Freedom of Expression: Columbia University}}</ref>
==Controversies and accusations of illegal activities==
===Electoral observation of autonomy referendum in Bolivia===


==Conferences and events==
The Human Rights Foundation was criticized for sending observers to the local ] which took place in ] in May 2008. This was perceived as an attempt to legitimize the referendums which had been declared illegal and unconstitutional by the National Electoral Court.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> However, despite the politicization of the discussion on whether or not the referendum was legal, this electoral process complied with Bolivian legislation.


===Hack North Korea===
===Alleged links with foreign mercenaries operating in Bolivia===
In 2014, HRF hosted Hack North Korea, a gathering of Bay Area technologists, investors, engineers, designers, activists and North Korean defectors that aimed to spark new ideas for getting information into North Korea.<ref>{{cite web| title =Silicon Valley to host North Korea 'hackathon'| work =The Guardian| date =Jul 21, 2014| url =https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/north-korea-silicon-valley-hackathon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title =We Hacked North Korea With Balloons and USB Drives| work =The Atlantic| date =Jan 15, 2014| url =https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/we-hacked-north-korea-with-balloons-and-usb-drives/283106/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title =Human rights activists team up with Silicon Valley to bring information to North Korea| work =PBS News| date =21 July 2014| url =https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/human-rights-activists-team-silicon-valley-bring-information-north-korea/}}</ref>
], ]]]


===College Freedom Forum===
In April 2009, staff of the HRF were implicated in the funding of illegal ] operating in Bolivia, who were apparently planning to assasinate the Bolivian president ] and other political leaders in the country. The public prosecutor in charge of investigating the case of the mercenaries, who were apprehended by the Bolivian police, identified ], the president of the Santa Cruz branch of the HRF as an associate of the mercenary cell, who had acted as a conduit for the funding of the group.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>. It was then revealed that the Human Rights Foundation did not have a license to operate in Bolivia.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
The College Freedom Forum (CFF) is a series of one-day events designed to educate and enlighten students about individual rights and democracy around the world. Each CFF features presentations and an opportunity for students and audience members to interact with the speakers one-on-one and during a question and answer session.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fahy |first1=Owen |title=College Freedom Forum Hosts Civil Rights Activists |url=https://bcheights.com/2019/02/22/college-freedom-forum-hosts-civil-rights-activists/ |website=bcheights.com |date=22 February 2019 |access-date=3 April 2019}}</ref>


===U.N. Human Rights Council Member Elections===
==Criticism==
In November 2012 and 2013, HRF co-hosted an event at the United Nations headquarters in New York with the Geneva-based organization UN Watch. The events focused on raising awareness of the election of competitive authoritarian and fully authoritarian regimes to the UN Human Rights Council. HRF brought human rights activists from different countries to testify about the abuses committed by their respective governments.<ref>{{cite news| title =Los zorros cuidan el gallinero| work =El Pais| date =13 November 2013| url =http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2013/11/13/actualidad/1384356583_775333.html| last1 =El-Hage| first1 =Javier}}</ref>
===Accusation of political bias===


===Oslo Freedom Forum===
In spite of its notable work on behalf of Guadalupe Llori, the President of Ecuador, ], accused the Human Rights Foundation of being a "backward, right wing" organization.<ref>{{cite web|title = Fundación Human Rights rechaza críticas del presidente Correa|publisher = '']''|date = ]|url = http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/06/30/0001/8/1ADECDFD7E744260A0A0EF8C02D71BD9.html|accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref>
In May 2009, with support from the city of ] and the John Templeton Foundation, HRF organized the ]. During the conference, democracy and human rights activist toell their stories and express their views about human rights in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytid.no/perspektiver/artikler/20100311/samler-heltene/ |title=Ytringshelter samles i Norge : NY Tid |access-date=2010-06-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521093008/http://www.nytid.no/perspektiver/artikler/20100311/samler-heltene/ |archive-date=2010-05-21 |language=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Anti-NK Group to Attend Oslo Freedom Forum|publisher = ]|date = 2009-05-16|url = http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_In_detail.htm?No=63551|access-date = 2009-05-22|archive-date = 2012-03-07|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120307133905/http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_In_detail.htm?No=63551|url-status = dead}}</ref> The forum holds an annual event in Oslo, along with satellite events organized across the world.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pei-ju |first1=Teng |title=Oslo Freedom Forum to open in Taipei for the first time in Asia |date=6 November 2018 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3568929 |publisher=Taiwan News |access-date=9 July 2019}}</ref>


===San Francisco Freedom Forum===
==Notes==
In October 2012 the Human Rights Foundation hosted the first San Francisco Freedom Forum, which was described as "a unique convergence of-pro freedom voices." The event was supported by ]'s charitable foundation, ]'s foundation, and ]. ] laureate ], on her first trip to the United States since 1971, was presented with a ]. Suu Kyi discussed the motives behind human rights violations and said that they cannot be addressed unless "we know what can be done to prevent" people from dehumanizing one another.<ref name="Aung Saan Su Kyi Craiglsist">{{cite news|title=When Aung Saan Su Kyi Met the Craigslist Guy|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/10/when-aung-saan-su-kyi-met-the-craigslist-guy/263211/|newspaper=The Atlantic|date=4 October 2012}}</ref> The Forum brought attention to a number of human rights issues, and other attendees included ], a Saudi woman who challenged her country's ban on women driving by coordinating a "Women2Drive" protest via ], and the spokesman of jailed Russian punk band ].<ref name="Meets Her Peers">{{cite news|last=Isaacson|first=Andy|title=Aung San Suu Kyi Meets Her Peers|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/30/aung-san-suu-kyi-meets-her-peers.html|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=30 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="weekend visit">{{cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Matt|title=Bay Area awaits Aung San Suu Kyi weekend visit|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_21644751/bay-area-awaits-aung-san-suu-kyi-weekend|newspaper=San Jose Mercury News|date=27 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="Other Stories">{{cite news|last=Sennott|first=Charles|title=Aung San Suu Kyi, and other stories from the San Francisco Freedom Forum|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/groundtruth/aung-san-suu-kyi-san-francisco-freedom-forum|newspaper=Global Post|date=28 September 2012}}</ref>
{{reflist|2}}


==External links== ===Sime MIA===
In November 2014, the Oslo Freedom Forum curated a session at the Sime MIA conference in Miami. The conference featured HRF president Thor Halvorssen, Jordanian cartoonist ], and North Korean refugee ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article4077963.html | title=Sime MIA will bring luminaries, surprises | work=Miami Herald | access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>
*
*


==Center for Law and Democracy==


===Honduran Democracy Crisis===
Following the ] that deposed President ], HRF requested all member states of the ] to adhere to the ]. HRF also advocated for the suspension of the government that ousted President Zelaya.<ref>{{cite web|title = Human Rights demanda suspensión del Gobierno que derrocó a Zelaya|publisher = ]|date = 2009-07-01|url = http://www.opinion.com.bo/Portal.html?CodNot=67284&CodSec=8|access-date = 2009-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090702102639/http://www.opinion.com.bo/Portal.html?CodNot=67284&CodSec=8 |archive-date=2009-07-02}}</ref> HRF chairman Armando Valladares resigned on July 2, 2009, in response to the HRF position on the Honduran coup.<ref>{{cite web |author=Armando Valladares |url=http://www.midiasemmascara.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7582:armando-valladares-renuncia-a-human-rights-foundation&catid=101:america-latina&Itemid=87 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708001005/http://www.midiasemmascara.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7582:armando-valladares-renuncia-a-human-rights-foundation&catid=101:america-latina&Itemid=87 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-08 |title=Mídia Sem Máscara – Armando Valladares renuncia à Human Rights Foundation |publisher=Midiasemmascara.org |access-date=2009-11-12 }}</ref> The new chairman of the organization was poet and former Czech president Václav Havel.


In November 2009, HRF published a report called "The facts and the law behind the democratic crisis in Honduras 2009",<ref>{{cite web|title = Los hechos y el derecho detrás de la crisis democrática de Honduras, 2009|publisher = HRF|author = Javier El-Hage|author-link = Javier El-Hage|date = 2010-03-08|url = http://lahrf.org/HRF_LosHechosYElDerecho_Honduras2009.pdf|access-date = 2012-07-08|archive-date = 2010-03-26|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100326144732/http://www.lahrf.org/HRF_LosHechosYElDerecho_Honduras2009.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2019}} in which it concluded that the Organization of American States had acted correctly in activating the ], and incorrectly in its diplomatic actions to revert the military coup. The report also concludes that the OAS behaved as an agent of Zelaya prior to the coup d'état and that Zelaya had been eroding Honduran democracy.<ref>{{cite web|title = OEA actuó de forma incorrecta en crisis|publisher = ]|date = 2009-11-27|url = http://www.laprensa.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/11/28/Noticias/OEA-actuo-de-forma-incorrecta-en-crisis|access-date = 2009-12-04|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://archive.today/20120527052858/http://www.laprensa.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/11/28/Noticias/OEA-actuo-de-forma-incorrecta-en-crisis|archive-date = 2012-05-27}}</ref>
]

]
In July 2011, the Honduran Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR-H), led by Eduardo Stein, published its final report on the events. The CVR-H based its main conclusions on HRF's report.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sdhjgd.gob.hn/biblioteca-virtual/informes-recomendaciones-y-documentos-de-la-uscvr/23-tomo-i-para-que-los-hechos-no-se-repitan-informe-de-la-cvr/file | title=Informe Final de la Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación de Honduras | access-date=May 26, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527040016/http://www.sdhjgd.gob.hn/biblioteca-virtual/informes-recomendaciones-y-documentos-de-la-uscvr/23-tomo-i-para-que-los-hechos-no-se-repitan-informe-de-la-cvr/file | archive-date=May 27, 2015 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

== Public perception ==
Thor Halvorssen participated in '']'' symposium on the death of Chilean dictator ], and was noted as the only one of the six commentators to condemn Pinochet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/another_symposium_of_denial/ |title=Another Symposium of Denial |publisher=Outsidethebeltway.com |date=2006-12-13 |access-date=2011-03-28}}</ref>

After the HRF criticized the Bolivian government and specifically government minister ] for alleged human rights violations in a public letter, the minister referred to HRF as "right wing".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lostiempos.com/hemeroteca-ediciones-anteriores.php?date=2008-02-02&v=1 |title=Hemeroteca – Ediciones anteriores del periódico Los Tiempos |publisher=Lostiempos.com |date=2008-02-02 |access-date=2009-12-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716055251/http://www.lostiempos.com/hemeroteca-ediciones-anteriores.php?date=2008-02-02&v=1 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2019}} In the same month, eighteen Latin America scholars signed an opinion piece in the Norwegian newspaper '']'' criticizing the Oslo Freedom Forum for focusing criticism only on Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, three countries with leftist governments. The scholars praised the group for putting "the spotlight on key global issues", but also stated that Cuban human rights activist and HRF then-chairman ] had defended the ] while speaking at the forum.<ref>. Aftenposten.no. Retrieved on 2013-10-23.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{official|url=http://www.hrf.org/}}
{{Authority control}}

]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]

Latest revision as of 15:38, 4 November 2024

Human rights non-government organisation For similar organizations, see Human Rights Foundation (New Zealand) and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey.
Human Rights Foundation
Founded2005; 19 years ago (2005)
FounderThor Halvorssen Mendoza
Location
Area served Global
ChairmanYulia Navalnaya
Websitehrf.org

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting and protecting human rights globally, with an emphasis on closed societies. HRF organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum. The Human Rights Foundation was founded in 2005 by Thor Halvorssen Mendoza, a Venezuelan film producer and human rights advocate. The current chairman is Russian opposition activist Yulia Navalnaya, and Javier El-Hage is the current chief legal officer. The foundation's head office is in the Empire State Building in New York City.

Organization

HRF's website states that it adheres to the definition of human rights as put forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976), believing that all individuals are entitled to the right to speak freely, the right to worship in the manner of their choice, the right to freely associate with those of like mind, the right to acquire and dispose of property, the right to leave and enter their country, the right to equal treatment and due process under law, the right to be able to participate in the government of their country, freedom from arbitrary detainment or exile, freedom from slavery and torture, and freedom from interference and coercion in matters of conscience.

According to the New York Times, HRF "has helped smuggle activists out of repressive countries, provided many with broader exposure and connected others with prominent financiers and technologists".

On 1 July 2024, Navalnaya was announced as the chairperson of Human Rights Foundation, succeeding Garry Kasparov.

The foundation had net assets of approximately US$34 million in 2022.

Oslo Freedom Forum

The Oslo Freedom Forum is an annual HRF conference in Oslo, Norway, supported by several grant-giving institutions in Scandinavia and the United States through HRF. Donors include Fritt Ord, the City of Oslo, the Thiel Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amnesty International Norway, Plan Norway, the Brin Wojcicki Foundation, Human Rights House Foundation, and Ny Tid. The forum is funded in part by the municipality of Oslo, the Norwegian Ministry of affairs, and the Fritt ord Foundation.

In different countries

Belarus

During the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented more than 450 cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape. At the end of 2020, the Viasna Human Rights Centre documented 1,000 testimonies of torture victims. HRF sent letters to fifteen officers of law enforcement agencies of Belarus and officials of the government of the country, in which it called on them to voluntarily resign and warned them of responsibility for the crimes against humanity.

China

In 2011, HRF announced its membership in the International Committee to Support Liu Xiaobo. The committee consists of a "coalition composed of six Nobel Peace Prize winners and 15 non-governmental organizations," formed to defend, and advocate for the release of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia, both detained in China.

Cuba

In September 2012, HRF founder Thor Halvorssen wrote an open letter to Ted Marlow, CEO of Urban Outfitters, urging him to reconsider Urban Outfitters' sale of Che Guevara emblazoned merchandise "for the sake of the thousands who perished in the Cuban revolution, and for the sake of the 11 million Cubans who still endure a totalitarian system". It was reported that in October 2012 Urban Outfitters removed the merchandise in response to the outrage.

In May 2013, HRF awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent to The Ladies in White (Las Damas de Blanco). In 2015, the award was given to Danilo Maldonado, El Sexto, a Cuban graffiti artist and activist who was arrested in December 2014 for trying to stage a performance art piece in the center of Havana.

In July 2014, HRF submitted a petition to the UN Special Rapporteur requesting an appeal to the government of Cuba on the assault of Roberto de Jesus Guerra Perez, a Cuban journalist and founder of Centro de Informacion Hablemos Press.

Dominican Republic

The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry (2007) is a feature-length documentary film about exploitation in the sugar plantations of the Dominican Republic. The film, narrated by Edwidge Danticat, suggests that the descendants of African slaves, brought over from Haiti, live and work in unfair conditions akin to "modern day slavery". HRF produced and provided the funding for the documentary film The Sugar Babies. It was first screened at Florida International University on June 27, 2007. The documentary about human trafficking of Haitians in the Dominican Republic drew protest from the Fanjul brothers, one of the largest beneficiaries of the human trafficking depicted in the film.

Ecuador

In March 2008 HRF wrote to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa asking for the release of the imprisoned governor of the province of Orellana, Guadalupe Llori, implying that the charges against her were politically motivated. Later in March Amnesty International declared that governor Llori may be a prisoner of conscience and a political prisoner According to HRF Llori was imprisoned on trumped up terrorism charges by the government. She was sent to El Inca prison where she remained for about ten months. HRF filed a communication with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pleading that it activate its urgent action procedure and send an appeal to the government of Ecuador for the immediate release of political prisoner Guadalupe Llori. HRF visited her in prison. She was eventually freed after an intense international campaign and credited HRF with her release.

Equatorial Guinea

In August 2012, HRF called for former US President Bill Clinton, who according to tax documents is the "honorary chairman" of the Leon H Sullivan Foundation, to revoke the foundation's decision to allow Teodoro Obiang to host their Sullivan Summit. Of Clinton, Halvorssen said "Mr Clinton's wife is US Secretary of State...It seems perplexing that he would allow himself to be so closely associated with a vile dictator."

Haiti

Following the 2010 earthquake that took place in Haiti, HRF began a fundraising campaign for a food program devoted to the children of the St Clare's community of Port-au-Prince. The program was started in 2000 by American author Margaret Trost and by Gérard Jean-Juste, a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience who served as the priest of the St. Clare's community. The campaign aimed at providing 160,000 meals for children.

North Korea

Further information: Balloon campaigns in Korea

In 2015, the Human Rights Foundation has helped to organize and bankroll a balloon drop of 10,000 copies of an edited version of the movie The Interview over North Korea. Previously, the HRF "has financed balloon drops of pamphlets, TV shows, books and movies over a course of several years, though nothing as high-profile and crudely belittling to Kim Jong Un as is The Interview."

According to Wired, HRF's North Korea program is "an initiative that unites activists in Korea with technologists and campaigners in the West." In 2014, HRF hosted the world's first hackathon for North Korea at Code for America's offices in San Francisco. According to the Wall Street Journal, "about 100 hackers, coders and engineers gathered in San Francisco to brainstorm ways to pierce the information divide that separates North Korea from the rest of the world."

In 2016, the HRF smuggled USB flash drives with films and television shows to expose North Koreans to popular culture from overseas. The flash drives were called "flash drives for freedom".

Swaziland

In 2014, HRF invited Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum. He was later jailed for "defaming the King's justice system".

After a sustained media international campaign, Maseko was eventually freed.

Conferences and events

Hack North Korea

In 2014, HRF hosted Hack North Korea, a gathering of Bay Area technologists, investors, engineers, designers, activists and North Korean defectors that aimed to spark new ideas for getting information into North Korea.

College Freedom Forum 2017 in Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala City

College Freedom Forum

The College Freedom Forum (CFF) is a series of one-day events designed to educate and enlighten students about individual rights and democracy around the world. Each CFF features presentations and an opportunity for students and audience members to interact with the speakers one-on-one and during a question and answer session.

U.N. Human Rights Council Member Elections

In November 2012 and 2013, HRF co-hosted an event at the United Nations headquarters in New York with the Geneva-based organization UN Watch. The events focused on raising awareness of the election of competitive authoritarian and fully authoritarian regimes to the UN Human Rights Council. HRF brought human rights activists from different countries to testify about the abuses committed by their respective governments.

Oslo Freedom Forum

In May 2009, with support from the city of Oslo and the John Templeton Foundation, HRF organized the Oslo Freedom Forum. During the conference, democracy and human rights activist toell their stories and express their views about human rights in the world. The forum holds an annual event in Oslo, along with satellite events organized across the world.

San Francisco Freedom Forum

In October 2012 the Human Rights Foundation hosted the first San Francisco Freedom Forum, which was described as "a unique convergence of-pro freedom voices." The event was supported by Peter Thiel's charitable foundation, Sergey Brin's foundation, and Anne Wojcicki. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, on her first trip to the United States since 1971, was presented with a Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent. Suu Kyi discussed the motives behind human rights violations and said that they cannot be addressed unless "we know what can be done to prevent" people from dehumanizing one another. The Forum brought attention to a number of human rights issues, and other attendees included Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi woman who challenged her country's ban on women driving by coordinating a "Women2Drive" protest via YouTube, and the spokesman of jailed Russian punk band Pussy Riot.

Sime MIA

In November 2014, the Oslo Freedom Forum curated a session at the Sime MIA conference in Miami. The conference featured HRF president Thor Halvorssen, Jordanian cartoonist Suleiman Bakhit, and North Korean refugee Yeonmi Park.

Center for Law and Democracy

Honduran Democracy Crisis

Following the 2009 Honduran coup d'état that deposed President Manuel Zelaya, HRF requested all member states of the Organization of American States to adhere to the Inter-American Democratic Charter. HRF also advocated for the suspension of the government that ousted President Zelaya. HRF chairman Armando Valladares resigned on July 2, 2009, in response to the HRF position on the Honduran coup. The new chairman of the organization was poet and former Czech president Václav Havel.

In November 2009, HRF published a report called "The facts and the law behind the democratic crisis in Honduras 2009", in which it concluded that the Organization of American States had acted correctly in activating the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and incorrectly in its diplomatic actions to revert the military coup. The report also concludes that the OAS behaved as an agent of Zelaya prior to the coup d'état and that Zelaya had been eroding Honduran democracy.

In July 2011, the Honduran Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR-H), led by Eduardo Stein, published its final report on the events. The CVR-H based its main conclusions on HRF's report.

Public perception

Thor Halvorssen participated in National Review symposium on the death of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, and was noted as the only one of the six commentators to condemn Pinochet.

After the HRF criticized the Bolivian government and specifically government minister Sacha Sergio Llorenti Soliz for alleged human rights violations in a public letter, the minister referred to HRF as "right wing". In the same month, eighteen Latin America scholars signed an opinion piece in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten criticizing the Oslo Freedom Forum for focusing criticism only on Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, three countries with leftist governments. The scholars praised the group for putting "the spotlight on key global issues", but also stated that Cuban human rights activist and HRF then-chairman Armando Valladares had defended the 2009 Honduran coup d'état while speaking at the forum.

References

  1. ^ "Our Mission". hrf.org. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  2. Simmons, Ann (2018-03-20). "Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov warns of a Russia increasingly devoid of freedoms". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  3. "2018 Global Americans New Generation of Public Intellectuals". Global Americans. 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  4. Kahim, Danny (Oct 25, 2014). "The World's Dissidents Have Their Say". New York Times.
  5. "Юлия Навальная стала председателем правозащитной организации Human Rights Foundation вместо Гарри Каспарова" [Yulia Navalnaya becomes chairperson of civil rights foundation Human Rights Foundation in place of Garry Kasparov]. Meduza (in Russian). 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  6. "Navalnaya Elected Head Of Human Rights Foundation, Succeeding Kasparov". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  7. Financial Statements, December 31, 2022 and 2021, p. 3
  8. "NHC partners with Oslo Freedom Forum". Norwegian Helsinki Committee. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  9. Vermes, Thomas (23 May 2016). "Thor Halvorssen åpnet Oslo Freedom Forum 2016: – FN blir styrt av diktaturer!". ABC Nyheter. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  10. "OHCHR | UN human rights experts: Belarus must stop torturing protesters and prevent enforced disappearances". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  11. "Human Rights Situation in Belarus in 2020. Analytical Review by Viasna". spring96.org. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  12. "Фонд защиты прав человека рассылает предупреждения силовикам Беларуси". ГОЛОС АМЕРИКИ (in Russian). 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  13. "HRF Sends Letters to Belarusian Security Officers Accused of Crimes Against Humanity". Human Rights Foundation. 2020-08-19. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  14. "China: Joint Statement by International Support Committee to Liu Xiaobo". Human Rights Watch. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  15. "An Open Letter to Urban Outfitters Regarding Their Che Guevara Merchandise". Huffington Post. 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  16. Mangu-Ward, Katherine (19 September 2012). "Hey Urban Outfitters: Che Guevara Was a Murderer and Your Poster Is Not Cool". Reason Magazine.
  17. Carrasquillo, Adrian. "Urban Outfitters removes Che Guevara merchandise after outrage". NBC Latino. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  18. Tillotson, Louise (21 December 2015). "Cuban protest artist El Sexto: 'You have to keep at it until you change their minds'". Amnesty International. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  19. "Detienen a grafitero cubano que desafió al Gobierno". Diario Las Americas. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  20. "Human Rights Foundation Demands UN Action over Assault on Cuban Journalist". The Panama Post. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
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