Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF)

@HRF’s annual global conference series brings together human rights defenders worldwide to speak truth to power. 🗓️ May 31-June 2, 2027

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

The 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum has come to a close, but the impact of our gathering continues to resonate.

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

In 2012, Tutu Alicante took to the stage at the Oslo Freedom Forum to expose corruption and injustice in Equatorial Guinea under Africa���s longest-ruling dictator, Teodoro Obiang.

Today, he’s still exposing how authoritarian regimes use power, money, and influence to shield their abuses.

In the latest episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Tutu examines how regimes use soccer to launder their reputations and distract from corruption and human rights abuses.

Listen to the full episode → https://t.co/uiqLgDaimZ

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

From stadium sponsorships to international partnerships, authoritarian governments are using the world’s most popular sport to distract from corruption, repression, and human rights abuses.

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

Gao Zhen, one half of the Gao Brothers and a 2026 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent laureate, has been sentenced by the Chinese regime after two years in detention. The Gao Brothers were recognized at this year’s Oslo Freedom Forum for their decades of artistic resistance and willingness to challenge political repression. We stand with Gao Zhen and his family and call for his immediate and unconditional release.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

HRF strongly condemns the sentencing of artist Gao Zhen and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. HRF also calls on the international community to hold China accountable for its repression of artistic expression.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

What can a latex glove tell us about kleptocracy?

[Zarifa Ghafari Bashir @Zarifa_Ghafari]

At @OsloFF, I spoke about the reality of Afghanistan today and the lives of Afghan women — whose rights, freedoms, and opportunities continue to be systematically erased.
Afghan women must not be forgotten. Their voices deserve to be heard, and their fight for freedom deserves the world’s solidarity🇦🇫

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

What happens when a dictatorship turns soccer into a tool of power?

In Equatorial Guinea, the country’s beloved national sport has been used to enrich officials, silence dissent, and polish the regime’s reputation.

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

Abdullah Ibhais was a virtual speaker at the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum after being prevented from traveling to Norway. Now, he’s facing further restrictions on his freedom to travel. Read @HRF's statement below and learn more about Ibhais’ case.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

Abdullah Ibhais, a 2022 Qatar @FIFAWorldCup whistleblower and 2026 @OsloFF speaker, was detained on August 7, 2026, by Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID). The arrest stems from continued advocacy for human rights following his release from arbitrary detention in 2022. He was released on bail on August 8. https://t.co/jxT4y4hgl1

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

We hope to welcome you to Oslo next year. Until then, revisit the conversations that have brought together extraordinary voices united by a common belief: that freedom is worth defending. Explore the talks → https://t.co/5gzFTruQFV

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

Since 2009, the Oslo Freedom Forum has brought together the world's leading human rights defenders, dissidents, journalists, artists, and advocates to share firsthand accounts from the front lines of the struggle for freedom.

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

More than 300 speakers from over 100 countries have taken the stage to share their journeys, bear witness to injustice, and inspire others to defend freedom.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

“There’s no such thing as an isolated autocracy in Latin America.”

Félix Maradiaga explains why Nicaragua’s dictatorship cannot be understood in isolation — and why supporting democratic movements requires international pressure, not indifference.

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

1,500+ people. 111 countries. One shared purpose: dismantling dictatorship.

The 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum brought together the activists, dissidents, journalists, technologists, and artists challenging authoritarianism and building a freer future. Our biggest gathering yet proved one thing: freedom is built together. Explore the full impact of OFF 2026 → https://t.co/a2Ol0XMspd

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

From the Oslo Freedom Forum stage to The Dissident's Mic podcast, @maradiaga continues to share his powerful story of courage and resilience.

Listen as Félix reflects on the hope that sustained him through political imprisonment in the first episode of HRF's newest podcast → https://t.co/uiqLgDaimZ

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

What keeps someone going when everything has been taken away? For Félix @maradiaga, it was the hope of seeing his wife and daughter again.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

AI is often discussed as a threat to privacy and freedom. But what if it could also be a tool for liberty?

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Hong Kong activist @carmenkamanlau reflected on the brutal reality of standing up to authoritarianism—and the moment she realized there was no such thing as a "safe" distance.

Speaking before a global community of activists, lawyers, policymakers, and human rights defenders, Lau shared how violence and intimidation only strengthened the movement's resolve to fight for democracy on every front.

Listen to her full talk → https://t.co/GEENBQPYAE

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

The ideas shared on the Oslo Freedom Forum stage continue beyond the conference. In an article for the @JoDemocracy, @gladstein builds on themes from his OFF talk, examining how privacy-preserving, open-source AI has become a powerful tool for advancing freedom and human rights.

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

The conversation around AI often assumes one outcome: more power for dictators. But what if AI could instead become one of the most powerful tools for those resisting them?

In a new article for @JoDemocracy, HRF Chief Strategy Officer Alex @gladstein argues that privacy-preserving, open-source AI has the potential to fundamentally shift the balance of power by giving human rights defenders the tools to organize, research, build, and communicate at unprecedented scale.

The future of AI isn't just about who builds the smartest models. It's about who controls them.

Read the full article: https://t.co/eEoeOm6WvX

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

The fight for freedom often begins with a single act of courage.

Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector and Oslo Freedom Forum 2025 speaker, recently shared her family’s extraordinary story with The New York Times — a story of survival, resilience, and the pursuit of a life beyond dictatorship.

After escaping North Korea in 2023, Kim has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the realities faced by those living under the Kim regime and using her platform to advocate for human rights.

Read the full article → https://t.co/tHDqctUOX1

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

After five years of imprisonment, Cuban artist and prisoner of conscience @LMOAlcantara is no longer behind bars. HRF condemns the Cuban regime for forcing him into exile as the price of his freedom and calls for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. Read the full press release → https://t.co/VsUkOhckr6

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

When preparing for prison becomes part of a journalist's routine, press freedom is under serious threat.

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, @Scroll_In Executive Editor @SharmaSupriya recounted the moment she was forced to flee her home after a false criminal case was filed against her—a reality many journalists and activists in India now face for simply doing their jobs.

Watch her full talk → https://t.co/0qkVW99dw6

[Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) @OsloFF]

At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Richard Gere reflected on decades of advocacy for the Tibetan people, emphasizing why protecting their culture, identity, and freedom is a cause that extends far beyond Tibet itself.

In a @WSJopinion piece, Gere warns that China's new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law codifies Beijing's efforts to export repression beyond its borders. Looking to Tibet—where many of the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance and social control tactics were first developed—he argues that what happens there is a warning to the world.

Read his op-ed in the Wall Street Journal → https://t.co/k5FlF4viWh