Matteo Mecacci, Italian Member of the European Parliament, elected official of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, and former Chairperson of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for Tibet, addresses the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks.
Full remarks
Italian MP, OSCE Rapporteur
Antonietta Ledezma, daughter of former Mayor of Caracas and political prisoner, Antonio Ledezma, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the arrest of her father Antonio Ledezma, Mayor of Caracas: “For the longest hours of my
Maikel Nabil, Egyptian blogger and political activist, addresses the 4th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Tom Gross: We have with us in this session, two very brave human rights and democracy activists, one from Egypt and the other
A panel including veteran war surgeon who smuggled himself into Homs in 2012 to help the Syrian people, Jacques Beres; Iranian freelance journalist and founder and Executive Director of ‘Foreign Policy Circle,’ Saba Farzan; and Syrian human rights activist who was arrested in 2011 for distributing pro-revolutionary flyers attacking the
Victor Navarro, Venezuelan journalist and human rights defender, addresses the 16th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for his remarks. *Vídeo y transcripción en español abajo Full Remarks: In 2013 my life changed, specifically the day they killed my father. At that time Caracas, the
Gambian women’s rights activist and survivor fighting to end Female Genital Mutilation Fatou Baldeh addresses the 16th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for her remarks. Full remarks: Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon to you all. I am
Tibetan-Canadian human rights activist and community organizer, Chemi Lhamo, addresses the 16th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for her remarks. Full Remarks: Home. Where is home for one that has never seen their own beautiful country, and in my case: Bhoe. Tibet. Tashi delek
Moayad Iskafe, a Syrian journalist who played a central role at the start of the Syrian uprising by organizing a network of local journalists to break Assad’s media siege, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks
Maria Baronova, Russian human rights activist, journalist and subject of “The Bolotnaya Case”, addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Hello. I am from Russia and as you know, things in my country are not as good as we would
Yavuz Aydin, Turkish judge purged by President Erdogan now living in exile, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the coup events and subsequent purge: “Even before this coup attempt was done, the High Council met
María Alejandra Aristeguieta, Ambassador-designate in Switzerland of Venezuela interim President Juan Guaido, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On her father’s arrest: “I normally work along with this Summit and I bring people and testimonies of victims
Russian democracy dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza receives the Geneva Summit Courage Award at the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the commitment of Russians to human rights: “Russia is not usually the first country that comes to mind when
Colette Braeckman, member of the Editorial Board of the Belgian newspaper Le Soir and expert on sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, addresses the 5th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks
Chair of the Women’s Committee of the World Uyghur Congress, Zumretay Arkin, presents the 2022 Courage Award at the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Introducing Enes Kanter Freedom: “His work, and the work of human rights defenders in this
Tania Bruguera, Cuban political performance artist who has been repeatedly arrested for her work, addresses the 13th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On being harassed by Cuba’s State Security: “Imagine yourself walking on the streets with a friend
Full Transcript Moderator: Good day to you all, my name is Jonny Gould. I am British radio and television broadcaster and journalist and today we are going to relate the story of Farida Abbas Khalaf, a Yazidi girl, from a village called Kocho in the Sinjar mountains in northern Iraq.
Robert Boorstin, Senior Vice President at Albright Stonebridge Group and a former Director of Public Policy at Google, addresses the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Chair, Bart Woord: And I mean, the search engine, I remember when I
Professor Dr. Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, German psychologist who has helped to repair the shattered and broken lives of countless Yezidi women who have suffered at the hands of ISIS, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On
Irwin Cotler, former Canadian Minister of Justice and MP and founder of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, addresses the 12th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On Raoul Wallenberg: “One person with the compassion to care and the
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
Exiled Belarusian opposition figure and chair of the Belarus Women’s Foundation, Veronica Tsepkalo, addresses the 16th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for her remarks. Full Remarks: Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, dear honorable guests! First, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to
Biram Dah Abeid, “the Nelson Mandela of Mauritania,” founder of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) and an antislavery campaigner, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Biram Dah Abeid: I thank you, dear
Ambassador Alfred Moses, former special counsel to President Carter, U.S. ambassador to Romania, and special presidential envoy for the Cyprus conflict, addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Hillel Neuer: The work that the Geneva Summit does for the past
Maria-Alejandra Aristeguieta-Alvarez, Ambassador-designate in Switzerland of Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaido, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by the full prepared remarks. On the failings of the UN: “The Universal HR system has been documenting and underlining the increasing deterioration of
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
Daniel Mekonnen, Eritrean human rights lawyer and scholar, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the importance of the Geneva Summit: “I feel very honoured to have the opportunity of speaking in front of you today, in