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Portraits of Strength 2024: Dragana Dardić, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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.
Portraits of Strength 2024: Rovshana Rahimova, Azerbaijan
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.
Portraits of Strength 2024: Gayane Hambardzumyan, Armenia
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.
Georgia: “‘Foreign agent’ legislation has only one aim – to marginalise and shut down all critical voices within the country”.
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.
Shadow of authoritarianism hangs over Georgia
As Georgian authorities look to introduce new “foreign agent” legislation, HRHF’s Kety Abashidze outlines the situation unfolding in the country and highlights the importance of international organisations, civil society and like-minded states to show solidarity with the Georgian public and civil society and to call on the authorities to abandon the law.
Georgia: “Authorities still believe a ‘foreign agent’ style law is needed”
On 10 March 2023, the Georgian Parliament voted down the so-called “foreign agent” and “foreign influence” bills following mass protests in the country. In the weeks following, Human Rights House Foundation spoke to Human Rights House Tbilisi’s Natia Tavberidze discussing next steps for civil society as well as support that Georgian civil society needs now from international colleagues.
OVD-Info: Russian Civil Society Demands an End to Prosecution of Anti-War Protests
In this op-ed for Human Rights House Foundation, OVD-Info highlights Russian civil society calls for an end to the authorities’ assault on freedom of expression.
Support grassroots democracy in Ukraine
Ukrainians are fighting two battles – one against the brutal Russian invasion, and the other to defend the democratic progress the country has made since independence in 1991. Weapons are needed to win the first battle, and for the second, a victory depends on support for local democracy and civil society.
Ales on trial
If Ales [Bialiatski] had not received the [Nobel] Peace Prize, images of a Belarusian human rights defender locked in a cage in court would never have made international headlines.