Search

Dissidents from Russia, Cuba, Iran, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Eritrea, and More to Spotlight Abuses at the 17th Geneva Summit

GENEVA, January 8, 2025 — Leading dissidents and courageous activists worldwide will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 18, 2025, for the Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy at the Centre International de Conférences Genève.

The Summit, hosted by a coalition of over 25 human rights organizations, will showcase the voices of the world’s bravest human rights defenders, many of whom have suffered torture. The event will also provide a vital platform to family members of political prisoners who are struggling to free their loved ones.

Featured speakers include:

• Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran.

• Garry Kasparov, human rights activist, promoter of democracy, and former World Chess Champion.

• Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian dissident and politician who survived two poisoning attempts.

• Evgenia Kara-Murza, activist and wife of formerly jailed Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza.

• Sebastien Lai, democracy activist and son of the pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai.

• Rahima Mahmut, Uyghur human rights activist, translator, and singer.

• Massouda Jalal, Former Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs and the first woman to run for President of Afghanistan.

• Husna Jalal, Exiled Afghan women’s rights activist and the daughter of Massouda Jalal.

• Assita Kanko, Belgian Member of the European Parliament, writer, and women’s rights activist.

• Betlehem Isaak, Swedish-Eritrean writer and daughter of Dawit Isaak, the longest arbitrarily detained journalist in the world.

• Times Wang, Human rights lawyer and the son of Chinese political prisoner Wang Bingzhang.

• Namkyi, exiled Tibetan activist and former political prisoner.

• Tirad Badawi, son of Raif Badawi, an iconic figure of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia.

• Nguyen Van Trang, Vietnamese democracy activist and victim of transnational repression.

Speakers are available for interviews before the event and more speakers are set to be announced soon. For a full list of speakers, please see our media kit. For media inquiries or interview requests, contact media@genevasummit.org.

The annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy assembles hundreds of brave dissidents, human rights activists, diplomats, journalists, and student leaders, shedding light on pressing global human rights issues. It offers a platform for activists, former prisoners, and heroes to share their struggles for democracy. The Summit draws hundreds of attendees and garners extensive media coverage worldwide from major media outlets, including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, Le Monde, and TIME magazine.

Admission to this year’s Geneva Summit is free and open to the public, but registration is mandatory.

Related

Human Rights

Opening Speech with Hillel Neuer

International lawyer, diplomat and Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer delivers opening remarks at the 3rd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Good morning. My name is Hillel Neuer. I’m the executive director of UN Watch. On behalf of our organization, the

Uyghur Persecution

Empty Chair: Rahile Dawut, Uyghur Scholar Disappeared by China

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

Authoritarianism

The Last Iron Curtain with Rosa Maria Paya

Rosa Maria Paya, one of Cuba’s leading human rights and democracy activists and the daughter of the late Oswaldo Paya, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On dictatorship in Cuba: “Let me tell you that as a

Religious Freedom

Beijing’s War on Religious Freedom with Grace Jin Drexel

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

United Nations

Welcome with Hillel Neuer

  International lawyer, diplomat and Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer delivers day one opening and closing remarks at the 13th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the Geneva Summit: “Since 2009, right before the main annual session of

Democracy

Targeted by Turkey with Nurcan Baysal

Nurcan Baysal, Kurdish author, journalist and human rights defender who in 2017 was awarded the “Brave Women Journalists Award” by the Italian Women Journalists Association, addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On being targeted by the Turkish

Human Rights

Opening Address with Irwin Cotler

Irwin Cotler, Founder and Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On political prisoners:  “We have a responsibility to not only speak up but to act.” “It’s our responsibility

Modern Slavery

Ending Slavery with Biram Dah Abeid

Biram Dah Abeid, leader of the anti-slavery campaign in Mauritania, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On slavery in Mauritania: “I, a regular visitor to the hellish and life threatening jails of my country, where on

Human Rights

The Islamic Republic Murdered My Son for Protesting with Maryam Diyor

Maryam Diyor, mother of Abolfazl Amir-Ataei, who was killed at age 16 by the regime for protesting, addressed the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18th, 2025. Full Remarks (Translated from Persian): Salutations to the Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi. On September 16th, 2022, the Islamic

United Nations

Welcome with Hillel Neuer

International lawyer, writer and Executive Director of United Nations Watch, Hillel Neuer, opens the Geneva Summit on behalf of the Summit coalition of 25 NGOs at the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Full Remarks Distinguished members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the United Nations and

Press Freedom

Geneva Summit 2015 Courage Award with Elham Manea

Elham Manea accepts the Geneva Summit Courage Award on behalf of imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi and addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Dr. Elham Manea: Thank you very much. We stand united in our humanity. Your precious Courage

Democracy

Hong Kong’s Fight for Freedom Is Not Over with Chloe Cheung

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.

Women's Rights

Fighting Female Genital Mutilation with Marie-Claire Kakpotia

Survivor and activist fighting to end Female Genital Mutilation, Marie-Claire Kakpotia, addresses the 15th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for her remarks. Full Remarks I am very honored to speak here today and I want to thank the Geneva Summit for giving me the opportunity to break the

Hong Kong

Abducted by China with Lam Wing-kee

Bookseller Lam Wing-kee, abducted by Chinese authorities for selling politically sensitive books in Hong Kong, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On Chinese persecution of Hong Kong booksellers: “From October to December 2015, shareholders and staff members

Human Rights

Presentation of the Geneva Summit 2017 Courage Award with Astrid Thors

Astrid Thors, a former OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities and Finnish MP, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Presenting the 2017 Moral Courage Award to former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed: “Mister President, your work shows how

Human Rights

Beyond Geneva: Advancing Human Rights in 2016 with Alfred Moses

Ambassador Alfred H. Moses, Chair of UN Watch, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania, Special Presidential Envoy for the Cyprus Conflict, and Special Counsel to President Jimmy Carter, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the Geneva Summit:

Democracy

Panel: Combating Transnational Repression with Masih Alinejad, Leopoldo López

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

United Nations

How the United Nations Fails Venezuela with Diego Arria

Diego Arria, Venezuelan politician and diplomat who served as Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1991–1993) and President of the Security Council (March 1992), addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On Venezuela: “Today, Venezuela is a

Authoritarianism

Finding the Truth in Iran with Potkin Azarmehr

Potkin Azarmehr, Iranian activist and blogger who left Iran for the UK after the revolution of 1979, since becoming a key activist resisting religious extremism and political intolerance in Iran, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Quotes: To Be

Political Prisoners

Tortured Just for Tweeting with Areej al-Sadhan

Sister to wrongly imprisoned Saudi aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, Areej al-Sadhan, addresses the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the state of Saudi Arabia: “My brother Abdul Rahman al-Sadhan is currently in solitary confinement, facing a 20 year