Summits
Niemat Ahmadi, survivor of the Darfur Genocide, Sudanese women’s rights defender, and founder and president of Darfur Women Action Group, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks: Good Afternoon, everyone, I am standing before you today, feeling incredibly dismayed that,
Petra Dillon, a student at Ecolint in Geneva, presented the empty chair for Rahile Dawut at the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks: The empty chair on this stage is dedicated to Rahile Dawut, a world-renowned scholar of Uyghur folklore and
Betlehem Isaak, Swedish-Eritrean writer, and daughter of journalist Dawit Isaak who has been detained in Eritrean prison without trial for 24 years, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks: Eritrea has been called “Africa’s North Korea,” “The Hermit Kingdom,” “An
Javier El-Hage, Chief Legal and Policy Officer of Human Rights Foundation, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks: Ladies and gentlemen, It is a privilege to stand before so many survivors and human rights heroes today. I am not one
Osiris Puerto Terry, a victim of brutality by the Cuban regime who was shot twice at the 11J protests, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks (Translated from Spanish): I am not a politician. I am not an activist. I
Baroness Sal Brinton, Member of House of Lords and Human Rights Chair of Liberal International, delivers her remarks as she presents the 2025 Geneva Summit Courage Award to President-elect Edmundo González and opposition leader María Corina Machado. Full Remarks: Ladies and Gentlemen, Liberal International is a proud, long-time partner of
Edmundo González, President-elect of Venezuela, and María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader received the 2025 Courage Award at the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Click here to view the presentation of the award by Baroness Sal Brinton. Full Remarks: Good afternoon all
Brandon Silver, international human rights lawyer, 2024 Magnitsky Award laureate, and the Director of Policy & Projects at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks: Congratulations President-elect Edmundo González and leader María Corina
Leopoldo López, Venezuelan dissident, former political prisoner, and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Excellencies, distinguished delegates, January 3 changed Venezuela. It did not solve everything. It did not magically erase
Blessed Mhlanga, Zimbabwean journalist and former political prisoner, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Last year, I spent 73 days in pre-trial detention for another man’s speech at a press conference I did not even attend. This
Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist and women’s rights activist, accepted the 2026 Courage Award on behalf of the heroes of Iran at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026. Click here to view the presentation of the award by Alice Teodorescu Måwe. Full
Grace Jin Drexel, daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin, a political prisoner in China, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: On October 10th, my father, Pastor Ezra Jin, was arrested by the Chinese authorities along with 27 other
Afghan-Iranian Taekwondo athlete and advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan, Marzieh Hamidi, recieved the International Women’s Rights Award at the 18th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Click here to view the presentation of the award by Sophia Aram. Full Remarks: I am not here to tell you
Aram Aqil, Kurdish minority rights activist and a former ISIS hostage, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Today, I speak as someone whose life has been shaped by discrimination, neglect, and exclusion. My name is Aram Aqil.
Chloe Cheung, the youngest Hong Kong dissident on Beijing’s “Wanted Persons” list and Manager of Public Affairs and Advocacy at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: You hear chanting.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President-elect of Belarus, delivered the 2026 Keynote Address at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Dear friends, A few months ago, my children hugged their father again. For years, they had only memories. There was no communication.
Pedro Urruchurtu Noselli, Venezuelan opposition advisor wanted on politically motivated charges who took refuge for more than 400 days inside the Argentine embassy in Caracas, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: On January 3, 2026, U.S. military
Timothy Cho, North Korean human rights activist and defector who was imprisoned four times in North Korea and China, addressed the U.N. Opening for the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 17th, 2026. Key Quotes: “Where is justice for the people of North Korea in
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of United Nations Watch, on behalf of 30 co-sponsoring NGOs, delivered the welcome address at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Prepared Remarks: Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, Welcome to the 18th annual Geneva Summit
Huệ Như, Vietnamese pro-democracy and anti-corruption activist and former political prisoner, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Hello everyone! I would like to invite you to listen to a story. This is not the story of a
Kim Yumi, North Korean defector who escaped by boat to South Korea with her family in 2023, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Hello. It is my honour to stand here today and meet all of you.
Kiran Tirado, a student at Institut Florimont in Geneva, presented the empty chair for the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026. Full Remarks: My name is Kiran Tirado, and I am a student at Institut
Mutasim Ali, Sudanese human rights advocate and Legal Advisor at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy by video on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: Hello everyone, I regret that I was unable to attend the Summit
Alice Teodorescu Måwe, Swedish member of the European Parliament, delivers her remarks as she presents the 2026 Geneva Summit Courage Award to Masih Alinejad on behalf of the heroes of Iran. Full Prepared Remarks: Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for this invitation. It is a great honour
Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, moderated a discussion with Masih Alinejad and Leopoldo López at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026. Masih Alinejad is an Iranian journalist, women’s rights activist, and repeated target of attempted assassinations. Leopoldo López is a
Kai Maresca, a student at Ecole Moser in Geneva, presented the empty chair for Mikhail Kriger at the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026. Full Remarks: My name is Kai Maresca, and I am a student at Ecole Moser in Geneva. The empty
Yunior García Aguilera, Cuban playwright and democracy activist, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: My name is Yunior. Just junior. I was born in Cuba in 1982. The generation before mine had names inspired by Soviet culture.
Bobi Wine, presidential candidate in Uganda’s January 2026 elections, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026.
Marina Ovsyannikova, Russian journalist who famously interrupted a live state TV news broadcast with a sign protesting Putin’s war on Ukraine, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026. Full Prepared Remarks: I am a journalist from Russia. For more than twenty
Sophia Aram, French comedian and actress, presents the International Women’s Rights Award at the 18th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy to Marzieh Hamidi, Afghan-Iranian taekwondo athlete and advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan. Full Prepared Remarks: Excellencies, human rights defenders, distinguished guests, It is an honor
Brandon Silver, international human rights lawyer, 2024 Magnitsky Award laureate, and the Director of Policy & Projects at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2026.
International human rights lawyer
Vietnamese dissident, just freed after 6 years in prison
Cuban human rights lawyer and activist
French-Vietnamese human rights activist
BYU Law School Professor
Leading Turkish journalist arrested and forced into exile for his brave reporting
Chief Legal & Policy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF)
Former General Counsel, Human Rights Foundation
Former MP and women’s rights advocate
Turkish novelist, political prisoner who was released in December 2016
Freelance Journalist
Senior UN correspondent
Journalist formerly with Charlie Hebdo
Vice-President, LICRA
NBA basketball player and human rights activist
Cuban political prisoner
Chair of the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines
International human rights lawyer
Youngest elected mayor in Afghanistan, survivor of three assassination attempts, forced into exile
Moroccan human rights activist
GENEVA, February 22, 2022 — A cross-regional coalition of 25 human rights organizations announced today that its prestigious human rights award will go this year to Enes Kanter Freedom, a NBA athlete and activist currently risking his career for speaking out against China’s persecution of ethnic Uyghurs. Freedom will receive the Geneva Summit’s
Interviewed by Dylan Rogers. Kazakhstan’s strongmen have l