We welcome 🇺🇸 @SenatorLankford and @SenTimKaine introducing the Jimmy Lai Internet Freedom Act, which supports Hong Kongers in “circumventing Chinese Communist Party censorship and to maintain access to a free and open internet.” #FreeJimmyLai lankford.senate.gov/news/pre…

“Since the outbreak of war... we have seen that repression in society has severely increased and now, with these economic pressures and with the repression that really has left no room for people to breathe, it’s the people who are paying an extremely heavy price.” - Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi apnews.com/article/iran-us-w…

Today in Iran, 166 protesters face death sentences, Supreme Court confirmation, or imminent execution. Evidence shows the death penalty is being used as a tool of intimidation to silence dissent, as cities are militarized to prevent future uprisings. iran-hrm.com/2026/09/28/iran…

Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu is finally free! After more than three years of persecution and deprivation of liberty in Azerbaijan, Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu is free and safely in Germany, where he is receiving medical care. His case had drawn sustained international concern, including over his health and restrictions preventing him from seeking treatment abroad. For the WLC family, this moment is especially meaningful. His daughter, Zhala Bayramova, a former WLC Leadership Council member, never stopped fighting for her father’s freedom. Zhala also took part in #FreeThem, an initiative of WLC’s Political Prisoners Support Team, helping amplify the voices and stories of political prisoners and their families. Today, we celebrate with Zhala and her family—and with everyone who stood beside them throughout this long fight. This is why we keep speaking out. This is why we keep fighting for every political prisoner. Until they are all free.

Across deep political divisions, a shared commitment to human rights. In his opening address at the Oslo conference, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), spoke about the agreement on minimum human rights principles signed by 15 political groups and organizations. He stressed that the agreement is neither a political alliance nor a decision about who should govern Iran. Its purpose is to affirm that everyone’s rights and dignity must be protected, regardless of who holds power. As an independent human rights organization, IHRNGO takes no position on Iran’s future government. Amiry-Moghaddam said the real test of these principles will be the signatories’ actions, especially when the rights at stake belong to people with whom they profoundly disagree. The invitation to other groups remains open, and he called for further dialogue and practical cooperation in defence of human rights. Oslo, Norway | 26 September 2026 #IranHumanRights #OsloConference #HumanRights

The news outlets have until Sept. 28 to file a request for a longer restoration of their credentials beyond the judge's initial 14-day order. usatoday.com/story/news/nati…

📣NEW: #FreedomOnTheNet 2025 is now LIVE! freedomhouse.org/report/free… Suppression of mass protests, deepening censorship, and threats to free speech fueled the 15th consecutive year of decline in global internet freedom. Conditions for rights online deteriorated in 27 of the 72 countries covered by Freedom on the Net 2025, and just 17 earned score improvements. Kenya, Venezuela, and Georgia experienced the year’s most severe declines, while Bangladesh earned the year’s strongest improvement. Myanmar and China remained the world’s worst environments for internet freedom, and Iceland maintained its status as the freest. Control over online information has become an essential tool for authoritarian leaders seeking to entrench their regimes. Governments in the countries that suffered the most extreme declines in internet freedom over the past 15 years—Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela—intensified their control over the online environment in response to challenges to their rule. Online spaces are more manipulated than ever, as authorities seek to promote favored narratives and warp public discourse. Of the 21 indicators covered by Freedom on the Net, the one that assesses whether online sources of information are manipulated by the government or other powerful actors has undergone the most consistent global decline over the past 15 years. Of the 18 Free countries under study, half suffered declines in their internet freedom scores. Georgia experienced the most significant decline in this cohort, followed by Germany and the United States. Explore more from #FreedomOnTheNet 2025: freedomhouse.org/report/free…

I was grateful to send this letter to @POTUS regarding the importance of pressing Xi Jinping and the CCP to release Ekpar Asat.

Today marks exactly one week since Nguyen Duc Thuan, a Vietnamese-Norwegian, and Tran Hiep, a Vietnamese-Australian, went missing in Cambodia. Their disappearance is not an ordinary “missing person” incident. Both men are long-time human rights advocates and Viet Tan members. They went to Cambodia to meet with human rights defenders from inside Vietnam. The family members have written an appeal to the Cambodian government to “expeditiously and fully determine the whereabouts” of these two activists. They have also been working closely with their respective foreign affairs ministries and urge anyone to share updates on the whereabouts of their loved ones. @NorwegianMFA @dfat @hrw @amnestyOz @Amnesty_Norge @ABCaustralia @theage @theheraldsun @ReutersAustral1 @smh @dagbladet @Nettavisen @NTB_PRM @AFPASIA @dpa September 24, 2026 Urgent Alert: Norwegian and Australian Activists Missing in Cambodia We are issuing an urgent appeal on behalf of the families of Nguyen Duc Thuan and Tran Hiep to determine their whereabouts and ensure their safety. Our loved ones have been incommunicado since September 18, 2026. Nguyen Duc Thuan, a Vietnamese-Norwegian, and Tran Hiep, a Vietnamese-Australian, have been long-time human rights advocates, supporting grassroots movements in Vietnam and combating social injustice. They flew into Phnom Penh, Cambodia on September 15 (from Bangkok) to meet with Vietnamese human rights activists. Their last known communication took place on the morning of September 18 with a scheduled return flight to Bangkok on September 19 at 10:30AM (on Cambodia Airways flight KR701). According to the airline, they never boarded their flight. We have been in close contact with the Norwegian and Australian Foreign Ministries and their local embassies in Bangkok and Phnom Penh. We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts from the Norwegian and Australian governments to resolve the case. The Cambodian authorities must expeditiously and fully determine the whereabouts of Nguyen Duc Thuan and Tran Hiep. This is not an ordinary “missing persons” case given their long standing work advocating for human rights in Vietnam. Our families have filed an appeal to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in light of their disappearance. Nguyen Duc Thuan, 52, is based in Oslo with his wife and two children. As a member of Viet Tan, a pro-democracy party, Nguyen Duc Thuan has campaigned for the release of Vietnam's political prisoners, working with Norwegian elected representatives, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and human rights organizations, including the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights. He is also an active member of the Catholic community in Norway, raising awareness of violations of freedom of religion in Vietnam. He has diabetes and requires daily insulin injections. Tran Hiep (also known as Ho Pham Hiep Huy), 51, is based in Melbourne with his wife. He is also a member of Viet Tan and has trained activists on digital security. As a key member of the Em Viet group, he has helped deliver programs supporting young people facing difficult circumstances. He helped launch the Australian Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking (AusACT), organizing fundraising events and advocacy workshops to combat trafficking of young Vietnamese girls to neighboring countries. We hope that anyone with information on their whereabouts will come forward and help reunite our families. Respectfully, Nguyen Duc Thien (brother of Nguyen Duc Thuan) Chloe Dang (wife of Tran Hiep)