Human Rights Foundation (HRF)

Today, we begin a powerful journey, where each act of generosity helps us continue to promote and protect human rights where they are most at risk. 🤝 Join us on this #GivingTuesday to defend the world against tyranny. Your support matters. This year, make a gift in November, and you will be automatically entered to win TWO Patron Passes to the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) Freedom Forum in Norway! 😱 Each dollar donated counts as one entry. 👀 👉 Donate for a chance to win: https://buff.ly/4eXGEWD #humanrights #2024hrfgivingtuesday #GivingEveryTuesday #SupportNonprofits

On Oct. 25-27 and Nov. 1-3, HRF held peaceful protests outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, where Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel led a concert series. Through “El Sistema,” a state-run music program that doubles as a tool for the Venezuelan regime’s propaganda efforts, Dudamel has received millions of dollars in off-the-books payments from the Maduro and Chavez dictatorships. Despite Maduro’s corruption, repression, economic collapse, mass exodus, and electoral fraud, Dudamel has largely stayed silent. This is why HRF was present with advertising trucks asking why Dudamel continues to serve as Maduro’s “puppet,” calling out Maduro for stealing the election from Edmundo González, the man Venezuelans overwhelmingly voted for as their next president. Dudamel’s silence on Venezuela’s human rights abuses is unworthy of a humanitarian award. On Monday, he received the 2024 Sophia Award for Excellence from the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, recognizing contributions to the Spanish-speaking world. HRF stationed four trucks outside the University Club of New York, where Queen Sofia presented the award, challenging Dudamel to speak out if he truly stands for humanitarianism. https://buff.ly/4feNoPR

The Assad regime has relied heavily on illicit trade since the Syrian civil war, particularly the drug Captagon, for revenue. Syria’s amphetamine market is valued at $10 billion, surpassing the nation’s official GDP of $9 billion. After Assad’s forces regained control of the Syria-Jordan border city of Daraa in 2018, cross-border trade resumed, but Syrians shifted from smuggling cheap goods to Captagon, employing Bedouins to traverse desert routes and building large smuggling networks. Around 80% of Captagon entering Jordan heads to Saudi Arabia. From May 2023 to July 2024, Saudi officials seized 76 million pills. Intelligence points to Maher al-Assad, President Bashar al-Assad's brother, overseeing production and collaborating with groups like Hezbollah. HRF condemns the Assad regime for its involvement in the Captagon trade, which fuels corruption, funds conflict, and destabilizes the region.

Saudi Arabia’s uncontested bid for the 2034 World Cup is set for a Dec. 11 approval, sparking concerns about potential labor abuses similar to those that took place in Qatar, especially in light of the tragic 2022 death of migrant worker John Njau Kibue. There have been 21,000 migrant deaths in Saudi Arabia since its Vision 2030 began in 2016, and the harsh labor conditions surrounding the construction of the NEOM megaproject point to existing human rights abuses. In line with these concerns, FIFA launched an independent rights assessment, which has subsequently been called “flawed” and “misleading” by groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. HRF calls on FIFA to demand accountability, ensure safe working conditions, and prevent another humanitarian disaster in Saudi Arabia as a measure of sportswashing.

Berta Valle shares how the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) has been a beacon of hope, bringing light to stories that inspire & unite. This #GivingTuesday, your support helps strengthen voices like Berta’s and sustains our work for freedom & human rights. Did you know that by donating to our #GivingTuesday campaign you could win TWO Patron Passes to the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway? Make a gift anytime this month to enter the raffle! Each dollar donated counts as one entry. 👀 👉 Donate for a chance to win: https://buff.ly/4eXGEWD #2024hrfgivingtuesday #GivingEveryTuesday #nicaragua #oslofreedomforum

HRF’s Combatting Kleptocracy Program Director Casey Michel joined Crooked Media's Pod Save the World to discuss his new book, “Foreign Agents,” which covers the threats American lobbyists impose on democracies and more. Check it out:

The #OsloFF inspires others to create real movements of change. Don't miss your chance to attend: https://buff.ly/4cRCeyH

The Cuban regime has denied imprisoned activists Félix and Sayli Navarro, a father and daughter, the right to visit each other for more than 50 days. Detained as prisoners of conscience since the July 2021 protests, they remain in separate detention centers. The regime has repeatedly violated their basic prison rights, withholding phone calls for 15 days and visits for more than 50 days. HRF condemns the Cuban regime's inhumane treatment of political prisoners and the broader population. It must release all individuals imprisoned on politically motivated charges and make way for a democratic transition in the country.

Le Huu Minh Tuan, a Vietnamese editor and prisoner of conscience, is experiencing severe health complications, including significant weight loss, intense pain, and numbness in his limbs. His relatives and rights groups are demanding his release so that he can receive urgent medical attention. Tuan is a member of the Vietnam Independent Journalists’ Association, serving an 11-year sentence for "opposing the state." He's been imprisoned since 2021. In detention, he has reportedly been denied adequate medical care despite his severe condition and limited communication with his family. Vietnam remains the world's third-largest jailer of journalists. HRF urgently calls for Tuan's immediate and unconditional release to receive necessary medical care and demands that the Vietnamese regime ensure the basic human rights of all prisoners of conscience. https://buff.ly/3ApKV6c

Chinese officials detained Tsongon Tsering, a Tibetan environmental activist, after he shared a video on social media accusing a construction company of illegally extracting sand and gravel from a river and causing environmental degradation. A few days after Tsering's social media post, officials summoned him and other villagers for questioning. Although all were initially released, Tsering was called back and has remained in custody ever since. Chinese officials also shut down Tsering's WeChat account and blocked all search searches related to his name. While Tsering's original video initially gained widespread attention, reposts shared by other users were swiftly removed. HRF condemns the arrest of Tsongon Tsering and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. His detention is yet another alarming example of how the Chinese Communist Party silences criticism of its exploitative policies and environmental degradation of Tibet. https://buff.ly/3O0xlJr