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From June 2022 to November 2024, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) implemented a 30-month regional project that provided opportunities for emergency support for Ukrainian civil society and independent media in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion. The project was funded by the European Union and implemented by ERIM-led coalition of partners, including including Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House, Black Sea Trust, East Europe Foundation, Human Rights House Tbilisi and HRHF.

Hennadii Vypynashko is a Ukrainian human rights defender who coordinated the Protection Program of the Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv for over 2.5 years, supporting civil society representatives affected by Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. In this interview, he shares stories about supported human rights defenders and journalists, his motivation, and key takeaways from his experience.

Maryna Savchenko is a journalist from the Kherson region. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the occupation of the Kherson region, she stayed in the city to report on the situation for the outside world for as long as she could while facing increasing threats. In this interview, she gives insight into her work and life under occupation, the story of her escape and the support she received to sustain herself.

HRHF joins international human rights organisations led by IPHR in urging the Georgian authorities to halt the extradition of Azerbaijani Journalist Afgan Sadigov, as well as to ensure the protection of him and his family.

In a joint statement, Human Rights House Foundation and members of the Network of Human Rights Houses urge the Georgian authorities to take immediate action to the violent crackdown on protestors, protect the right to peaceful assembly, and comply with international law. Additionally, we call on the international community to condemn these violations, pressure Georgian authorities to end police violence and the use of ill-treament against protestors, and work with Georgian human rights defenders to address documented violations and ensure accountability.

In recent months, Serbia has witnessed an alarming crackdown on its civic space. This has unfolded through a wave of arrests, smear campaigns, and repressive tactics aimed at silencing dissent and undermining democratic principles. These actions, exacerbated by growing Russian and Chinese influence, reveal a systematic effort of Serbia’s authorities to suppress civil society and stifle public dissent.

Human Rights House Foundation joins a joint-statement from INGOs led by Human Rights Watch urging EU leaders to press the Azerbaijani Authorities to end its renewed and intensified crackdown on critical voices and independent civil society.

From October 7-11, 2024, 15 human rights defenders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine gathered for a week of advocacy as a part of the Network of Human Rights Houses’ 30th anniversary celebrations. Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) and Network partners aimed to deepen engagement with Norwegian policymakers and raise awareness of critical human rights challenges across the region, emphasising the need for increased political and financial support from Norway for civil society.

In September 2024, Human Rights House Yerevan and Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) hosted a two-day workshop in Armenia to equip civil society representatives with tools to combat Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The workshop gathered 17 participants, including eco-activists, environmental organisations, and human rights defenders, to discuss SLAPPs, examine their threats to democracy and free speech, and explore strategies for legal resistance. The event was facilitated by Mari Kapanadze from Georgian Democracy Initiative, Charlie Holt from Greenpeace International and the CASE Coalition, and Nora Wehofsits from HRHF.

At the 57th UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) worked alongside civil society partners to highlight the situation for human rights in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

Yuliia Kishenko is a Ukrainian human rights defender and volunteer.
She became part of the human rights movement over 10 years ago through her activism, when she joined “East SOS” – a volunteer movement that grew into a charitable fund supporting victims of war. In recent years Kishenko has focused on human rights in education, national advocacy and supporting civil society in war.

Valentyna Potapova is a human rights defender from Ukraine. She is the head of national advocacy direction at Centre of Civil Education “Almenda”, a member organisation of Human Rights House Crimea, which had to relocate from Crimea to Kyiv following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Since then, Potapova’s work is focused on protecting the right to education of children remaining under occupation.