Latest

Taciana Niadbaj is a Belarusian writer and human rights defender. Niadbaj started her work in the NGO sector by cooperating with independent media and she is currently the Chair of the Board of the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House and Chair of PEN Belarus.

Dragana Dardić is a human rights defender from Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is currently a Program Director at Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, member organisation of Human Rights House Banja Luka. In her work, Dardić focuses on women’s rights, the rights of marginalised groups, and the freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.

Rovshana Rahimova is a human rights lawyer from Azerbaijan. She has been involved in defending human rights for over 10 years focusing on women’s rights and countering domestic violence, including protection of the victims and national advocacy. Currently, as a member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association, she also works on the cases of several political prisoners.

Gayane Hambardzumyan is an Armenian human rights defender. She has been working with Women Resource Center (WRC), an Armenian women’s rights organisation and member of Human Rights House Yerevan almost since its establishment in 2003. She established WRC’s branch, Women’s Center Shushi, in Nagorno-Karabakh.

On 28 May 2024, the Georgian government adopted the so-called “foreign agent” law. Human Rights House Foundation recently spoke to Georgian human rights defender Baia Pataria about these critical developments and what they mean for civil society.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, the resilience of those affected is tested daily. The psychological toll on the Ukrainian population is profound, with widespread reports of trauma, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Ukrainian civil society organisations have mobilised to provide critical support to those in need while often needing support themselves. HRHF asked the partners from the Network of Human Rights Houses about the connection between mental health and human rights and what kind of role mental health support plays in the resilience of Ukrainian civil society.

On 26 February Ukraine marks the Day of Resistance to Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. Ten years ago on that day thousands of Crimean activists gathered outside the Crimean Parliament to show resistance against Russian occupation and in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This resistance still continues today in different forms. In this interview, HRHF asked four prominent Crimean human rights defenders and representatives of Human Rights House Crimea member organisations, to reflect on the situation in Crimea over the past decade and share their perspectives about the future.

Ahead of the second anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, HRHF spoke with Ukrainian human rights defender Liudmyla Yankina about the main challenges facing civil society, and the situation for human rights in Ukraine. We also discussed what has changed over the last two years through the prism of her work protecting representatives of civil society.

Authorities in Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aim to introduce Russian-style “foreign-agent” legislation, amidst an alarming deterioration in the situation for human rights in the region. In this interview with HRHF, human rights defender Tanja Boromisa, discusses what these developments mean for Republika Srpska, the wider region, and more.