Human Rights Foundation

The WSJ condemned the conviction of Hong Kong journalists Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam on sedition charges, calling for sanctions against Hong Kong leaders, and praised the editors of the now-disbanded Stand News for their bravery in defending a free press. Chung and Lam were convicted last week for publishing “seditious” articles, including interviews with now-detained pro-democracy activists. Accused of promoting localist ideology and inciting hatred against the government, they face up to two years in prison. In response, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, slammed the WSJ editorial, accusing it of double standards. Tang stated that no responsible government would tolerate the spread of disinformation, claiming they would resolutely defend national security. The WSJ itself has faced criticism for allegedly firing head reporter, Selina Cheng, for taking up a position as head of the city’s largest journalist union, HKJA. Cheng claims her supervisor discouraged the staff from advocating for press freedom in places like Hong Kong. Hong Kong has seen a dramatic decline in press freedom under NSL, with numerous pro-democracy journalists being arrested and losing their jobs following the closure of prominent media outlets like Apple Daily and Stand News. HRF continues to condemn the arrest of Hong Kong journalists under vague provisions of the national security law, urging the international community to take decisive action to protect free speech and press freedom in Hong Kong. https://buff.ly/3APH8Pn

On Monday, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) adopted a resolution denouncing a series of US sanctions imposed on companies in the Uyghur region over accusations of forced labor. The CCP vowed to support the sanctioned enterprises. In 2021, the US passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to block imports from the Uyghur region, where forced labor is widespread. Since taking effect in June 2022, it has blacklisted more than 80 companies for allegedly involved in forced labor practices. In response, the CCP’s resolution called on judicial officials to offer legal support to sanctioned companies. It also reiterated strong opposition to US accusations, calling them “political manipulation and economic bullying under the guise of human rights.” HRF strongly condemns the #CCP for its perpetuation of forced labor and other human rights violations in the Uyghur region. Instead of taking concrete steps to end forced labor, it has chosen to defend these atrocities.

"This book is an eye-opening depiction of an industry that has largely defied efforts to keep it in check." Check out The Economist's review of HRF Combating Kleptocracy Program Director Casey Michel's new book #ForeignAgents:

The Kurds are the world’s largest stateless population — more than 30 million people spanning Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. European diplomats decided their fate post-WWI, sparking a century-long struggle to maintain Kurdish identity against a repressive Turkish regime. Despite this and Turkey's repressive policies broadly labeling them as terrorist threats, the Kurdish identity has thrived through political, academic, and cultural resistance. Still, there are arbitrary arrests, torture, and land dispossession, with intensified crackdowns under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially after the 2015 elections and the 2016 failed coup attempt. Kurds continue to stand up against oppression to preserve their cultural identity amid ongoing state efforts to erase it.

How much forced labor went into making your clothes? In partnership with HRF, Michael Bluhm interviewed Tessa Maffucci for The Signal, to discuss the reality behind the fashion industry, which often involves forced labor.

🎙️ STARTING NOW: What’s next for Bangladesh? live on X Spaces. Join us: https://lnkd.in/g7cR4zCU

Check out HRF Combating Kleptocracy Program Director Casey Michel in conversation with Brian Mann and Ari Shapiro on NPR’s podcast, discussing democratic state officials facing charges for secretly working for China’s Communist Party. Listen here: https://buff.ly/4dP3IpY

Today at 12:30 p.m. EST join HRF along with Ahmedur Chowdhury, Taqbir Huda, & Ahsanul Hoque on X Spaces to dive deep into the ongoing challenges, the power of youth activism, and what the future holds for democracy in Bangladesh. 🎙️ Tune in here: https://buff.ly/4dNbjFy

HRF Asia-Pacific Policy Officer Joyce Ho joins VOA to discuss how Beijing is showcasing its culture and tourism by inviting international reporters to Chinese cities while censoring the reality of the Chinese regime’s human rights abuses. https://buff.ly/3TjEs30

Following Iran's June presidential elections, at least 87 people were executed in July. In August, executions continued to soar. On the morning of Aug. 7, Iranian officials executed 29 prisoners at two prisons. Trials before the Revolutionary Court are often systematically unfair. On Aug. 6, Reza Rasaei, a member of the Yarsan religious minority, was executed in a grossly unfair trial for the murder of an Iranian official. His confessions were obtained under torture. On the same day, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was beaten in prison for protesting his death. She suffered a respiratory attack and collapsed and has been barred from seeing her family for nine months. Minorities such as Kurds and Baluch are disproportionately executed. Despite the Baluch ethnic minority making up 5% of Iran’s population, they account for 20% of recorded executions. HRF strongly condemns and is deeply concerned about the Iranian regime’s significant and unabated increase in executions this year. It also calls for the international community to condemn the Iranian regime's abuse of the death penalty and stands for Iranians’ right to fair trials.