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Since 2023, Azerbaijan has been conducting its most comprehensive crackdown against civil society in its post-independence history. With the majority of human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers in exile or behind bars, the few that remain are unable to operate in a civic space that defenders describe as transitioning from “shrinking” to “closing”. In 2025, Human Rights House Foundation discussed the situation with representatives of Azerbaijani civil society in exile, as well as those who remain despite severe and increasing risks.

In August 2025, Belarusian human rights defenders gathered in Geneva to advocate ahead of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Belarus. This two-day programme of meetings with diplomats and participation in the UPR pre-session was the culmination of a nine-month capacity-building journey led by Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) aimed at preparing Belarusian civil society partners, including members of the Network of Human Rights Houses, to engage effectively in the UPR process and to support them in making formal submissions within the process.

Human Rights House Foundation and several international human rights organisations express profound concerns regarding the Georgian government’s all-out assault on human rights and civil society organisations in the country and call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally end all persecution of civil society and media groups for their peaceful and legitimate work. The European Union, its member states and the broader international community should take urgent and coordinated measures to respond to and end this crackdown.

Human Rights House Foundation and several international NGOs call on UN Human Rights Council member and observer states to support the renewal of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation during the Council’s 60th session.

With human rights crises unfolding in neighbouring Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia remains the story of hope for human rights and freedoms in the South Caucasus, but civil society in the country faces many challenges. In this interview, HRHF spoke to Arpy Manusyan, President and Research Director of Socioscope NGO (a member organisation of Human Rights House Yerevan), on issues ranging from the apathy in society following the second Nagorno-Karabakh war, to increasingly disappointing rhetoric surrounding next year’s elections, and what role Armenian civil society can play in reconnecting with the public.

After four years of legal struggle, Moldova’s first independent medical workers’ union wins a landmark Supreme Court case as a result of sustained capacity building and advocacy support.

“There may soon be no one left in Azerbaijan to write these stories, to document these abuses, to bear witness,” argued Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla (Free Voice Collective), addressing the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. The statement was delivered following the Committee’s request that HRHF suggest experts to speak at a hearing on 26 June regarding the situation for human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan.

Four years after the detention of Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovic and Uladzimir Labkovich, over 40 international human rights organisations urge the Belarusian authorities to uphold the rule of law and to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in Belarus.

At the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) raised the situation for political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russian-occupied Crimea, including jailed colleagues from the Network of Human Rights Houses, reiterating calls for their release. HRHF worked alongside Network partners calling for action on the repressive strategies of authorities in Georgia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to attack civic space and fundamental freedoms, as well as advocating for strong resolutions on civic space, safety of journalists, the freedoms of assembly and association, and on Ukraine.

At the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Human Rights House Foundation condemned Russia’s systematic human rights abuses in occupied Crimea, citing documentation from Human Rights House Crimea member organisations including repression of journalists, lawyers, and civic freedoms; forced conscription and indoctrination of children; and property confiscation. HRHF reiterated calls for the release of political prisoners held by the Russian Federation.

At the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, HRHF and Human Rights House Banja Luka echoed UPR recommendations to Bosnia and Herzegovina to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders, align all legislation on free association, expression and assembly with international standards, and to resource and strengthen national human-rights institutions.

At the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, HRHF called on the Belarusian authorities to end incommunicado detentions and ill treatement, reinstate banned NGOs, repeal repressive laws and to engage with the Council’s Belarus mechanisms.