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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, Human Rights House Foundation condemned state-backed disinformation, legal harassment, and physical attacks targeting journalists and election observers in countries like Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Serbia. Citing the imprisonment of Anar Mammadli and widespread abuse of “national security” laws, HRHF called for clear benchmarks to hold states accountable during election cycles.

We members of the Network of Human Rights Houses stand in solidarity with our imprisoned colleagues in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, as well as all political prisoners in the region.

In recent months, Serbia has witnessed some of the largest protests in its modern history. With slogans like “Corruption kills” and “Pumpaj!” (“Pump it!”) students have emerged as the driving force behind these leaderless demonstrations, supported by the wider civil society while intentionally distancing themselves from it. In this op-ed, Uroš Jovanović from Civic Initiatives – a member organisation of Human Rights House Belgrade – explores the roots of the protests, the strategies used to intimidate civil society, and the muted response of international actors.

During the 2025 Democracy Defender Award seminar in Vienna, HRHF issued recommendations to OSCE States on how to address shrinking space for civil society. HRHF Congratulates Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association for the well-deserved recognition of their commitment to advancing democracy and human rights in Georgia.

In 2024, Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) worked closely with the Network of Human Rights Houses and other civil society partners to protect and promote human rights amidst increasing challenges, including rising authoritarianism. Find out more in HRHF’s 2024 annual report.

At HRC58, HRHF urged the Georgian authorities to lift restrictions against Human Rights House Tbilisi, to repeal laws that target civil society, and to ensure accountability for violence against human rights defenders and protesters.

Members of the Network of Human Rights Houses condemn the recent actions of the Georgian authorities against independent human rights organisation Human Rights House Tbilisi and call for immediate stop of the investigation and reversal of the decision to freeze all of the organisation’s bank accounts.

On 18 March 2025, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement focused on the situation for the independent media at the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting.