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Authorities in Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aim to introduce Russian-style “foreign-agent” legislation, amidst an alarming deterioration in the situation for human rights in the region. In this interview with HRHF, human rights defender Tanja Boromisa, discusses what these developments mean for Republika Srpska, the wider region, and more.

Ahead of International Human Rights Day 2023, HRHF has spoken to several human rights defenders from around the Network of Human Rights Houses to ask them about the state of human rights in their countries and why they find it important to continue their work.

Ane Tusvik Bonde joined Amnesty Norway in September 2023 following almost two decades with the Human Rights House Foundation. In this interview, Ane shares her reflections about the significance of the Human Rights House concept, the Network and the power of solidarity.

Human Rights House Foundation delivered the words of Human Rights Defenders from Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council at its 52nd session on 15 March 2023. In the statement, HRHF noted that the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders presents an opportunity to celebrate the role and impact of HRDs.

There are 1400+ political prisoners in Belarus, as of February 2023 and that number continues to rise. The “Letters from Lukashenka’s Prisoners” campaign aims to ensure the unjustly detained are not forgotten and that their voices are still heard from behind bars.

Alena Hnauk is a 65-year-old pensioner and activist from the village of Tkachi in the Pruzhany region of Belarus. She was first sentenced to two years of home confinement for participating in the so-called “dancing protest” on 13 September 2020 in Brest.

On 24 September, Viasna volunteer Tatsiana Lasitsa was released in Belarus after serving one year and eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence. While we welcome this news, we highlight that Lasitsa not have been in prison in the first place – the case against her was a reprisal for her legitimate human rights work. We repeat our call for the release of her Viasna colleagues and for the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

Human Rights House Foundation joins several international human rights organisations in a joint letter urging Human Rights Council member states to ensure a strong resolution on human rights defenders at the Council’s 49th session.

Volha Harbunova is a Belarusian woman human rights defender, psychologist, and former head of the non-governmental organisation Radislava, which offers support to women who face domestic and gender-based violence. Harbunova was arrested on 9 November 2021 on suspicion of organising all-women marches in 2020.