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On 8 January 2025, Human Rights House Foundation delivered an intersession statement at the UN Human Rights Council urging states to ensure consistent monitoring and reporting of the human rights situation in Crimea, to advocate for the release of all political prisoners and for access for independent monitors of detention facilities, and to continue to support the work of international accountability mechanisms.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On 8 October 2024, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council urging states to ensure that violations committed within the context of the Russian occupation of Crimea remain a priority on the agenda of the Council.

On 24 September 2024, the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute delivered a joint statement at HRC57 on behalf of INGOs including Human Rights House Foundation. In its statement, the INGOs condemned widespread violations of human rights and international law in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and called for all States to ensure full cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

On 24 September 2024, Human Rights House Foundation delivered a statement at the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting the situation for Ukrainians held by the Russian Federation such as civilian detainees, including children, and prisoners of war.