Freedom Now

D.C. protesters say they were attacked by guards of Azerbaijani president Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev is in town for a meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace. Police said an incident that “involved Azerbaijan security guards” had been referred to the State Department.

A disturbing scene in DC as peaceful protesters calling for the release of political prisoners in #Azerbaijan were attacked by what appear to be members of President Aliyev's security detail. The State Department should hold these attackers accountable www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Tofig Yagublu turns 65 years old today. He is wrongfully imprisoned in #Azerbaijan for his criticism of the government, along with hundreds of other journalists, and activists. We call for the release of Tofig and all political prisoners in Azerbaijan www.freedom-now.org/cases/tofig-...

Burning Xi Jinping: Is Kazakh Rights Group Facing Its Final Days? A group of activists set fire to a portrait of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Chinese flag during a demonstration against the continued detention of ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang.

It is deeply troubling that 13 Kazakh activists are facing up to 10 years in prison for exercising their right to freedom of expression. We call for their release and for the Kazakh government to end its repression of public protests thediplomat.com/2025/12/burn...

Azerbaijan announces ‘largest amnesty’ to-date covering 20,000 people Azerbaijan regularly issues amnesties to commemorate public holidays.

#Azerbaijan is planning on pardoning 20,000 prisoners, its largest amnesty ever. How many of the country's 400+ political prisoners will be on that list,? oc-media.org/azerbaijan-a...

On this #HumanRightsDay, we honor those who speak truth to power — and we call on governments to free them.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled Goma's imprisonment violates international law. He began a hunger strike in August 2025 to protest inhumane conditions and lack of medical care.

ABDOUL AZIZ GOMA - TOGO
Irish-Togolese citizen detained since December 2018 for helping protesters find accommodation. After 6 years of pretrial detention, he was sentenced to 10 years in a one-day trial in February 2025.

VICTOIRE INGABIRE - RWANDA
Opposition leader arrested in June 2025 after challenging Rwanda's authoritarian rule. She previously served 8 years in prison for daring to run against President Kagame. Now facing new charges of "inciting public disorder."

A UN Special Rapporteur called her prolonged detention "a travesty of justice." Cumpio covered alleged police and military abuses before her arrest. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

FRENCHIE MAE CUMPIO - PHILIPPINES
26-year-old journalist arrested in February 2020 on fabricated charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing. She has been detained for over 5 years without conviction.

DZYANIS IVASHYN - BELARUS
Investigative journalist serving 13 years for exposing human rights abuses. Arrested in March 2021 bafter publishing an article about Ukrainian special forces members employed by Belarusian police to suppress protests.

Yagublu, 64, went on a 40-day hunger strike in April-May 2025 protesting his unjust sentence. His health deteriorated critically.

TOFIG YAGUBLU - AZERBAIJAN
Veteran opposition activist sentenced to 9 years in prison in March 2025 on fabricated fraud and forgery charges. Authorities planted evidence during a raid on his home. This is his THIRD arbitrary imprisonment.

On #HumanRightsDay, we remember the thousands of brave individuals who remain behind bars for exercising our most basic rights. Today we highlight 5 political prisoners whose courage reminds us how important these rights are. 🧵

While Paul Kagame is in DC today to sign a peace deal, critics of his government are in prison on politically motivated charges. Among those wrongfully detained is Victoire Ingabire, a prominent opposition politician. We call for her immediate release www.freedom-now.org/cases/victoi...

Your donation to Freedom Now will help people like Dzyanis. People whose very liberty and security is at stake. You can be a champion for selfless individuals persecuted by their own governments. www.freedom-now.org/donate/

While many of us will be in the company of loved ones this holiday season, Dzyanis will spend another year separated from his family—punished for daring to share the truth.

Among them is Dzyanis Ivashyn, a journalist, economist, and political scientist who was arrested in March 2021 and is serving a 13-year prison sentence for his investigative reporting. www.freedom-now.org/cases/dzyani...

Your support makes victories like this possible. But our work is far from over. More than 1,200 political prisoners remain wrongfully imprisoned in Belarus.

We are thrilled to report that after sustained international advocacy, including a ruling from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on the petition we filed on his behalf, Igor was released in September as part of a mass amnesty.

Last year on #GivingTuesday, we highlighted the case of Belarusian journalist Igor Losik, who was serving a 15-year prison sentence.

The global day of giving provides an opportunity to support Freedom Now in our continued fight against repressive regimes.

This #GivingTuesday you can help individuals wrongfully detained for exercising their most basic human rights. www.freedom-now.org/donate/

This persecution must end and she must be released immediately. We are confident the UN will agree.

We are proud to join @hrf.org and The Tom Lantos Foundation in filing a petition with the UN on behalf of opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, who is wrongfully imprisoned in #Rwanda for her peaceful political activism. www.freedom-now.org/rwanda-petit...

Tofig Yagublu Image Detained: December 23, 2023.

We are grateful for the inclusion of Tofig Yagublu in the Lantos Commission's Defending Freedoms Project. Tofig was arrested in 2023 & is serving a 9 year sentence in #Azerbaijan in retaliation for his political work. We call for his immediate release humanrightscommission.house.gov/defending-fr...

Leaders must raise concerns about these individuals' treatment with their respective govts at #CMF46. All member states must reaffirm their commitments to OIF's mandate & to upholding intl law obligations not to use detention as a political tool

#Rwanda - Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is a prominent political opposition figure & activist who has long been persecuted in Rwanda. In June, she was re-arrested on baseless charges as part of the government’s broader effort to silence opposition voices www.freedom-now.org/cases/victoi...

Thomas is one of several detained journalists in #Cameroon, including Tsi Conrad, Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka & Mancho Bibixy. Attacks on free & independent press undermine democracy, as was very recently apparent in Cameroon’s October presidential election

#Cameroon - Thomas Awah Jr. is a journalist & activist who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for reporting on protests in the Anglophone region. We filed a petition with the UNWGAD, which found his detention violates international law. www.freedom-now.org/cases/thomas...