Human Rights Defenders in Exile: Toward Stronger EU Protection
5 October 2025 |
Across the world, crackdowns on civil society are intensifying. As governments restrict freedoms and close civic spaces, human rights defenders are increasingly forced into exile. Many leave their homes with little more than courage, facing years of uncertainty about their legal status, safety, and ability to continue their vital work.
Two Araminta-led events at the 2025 OSCE ODIHR Human Dimension Conference
As the global space for civil society continues to shrink, more human rights defenders (HRDs) are being forced into exile — leaving behind not only their homes but often their legal status, safety, and ability to continue their work.
At the 2025 OSCE ODIHR Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw, Araminta and partners are convening two dedicated side events to explore how Europe and the wider OSCE region can provide stronger, coordinated protection for defenders in exile.
Event 1: Human Rights Defenders in Exile — Prospects for Stronger EU Protection
📅 Date & Time: 16 October 2025 | 14:30 – 15:30
📍 Venue: Meeting Room 1 – Belweder, Sofitel Hotel, Warsaw
🗣️ Language: English
🤝 Convenors: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Araminta
Human rights defenders play a legitimate and indispensable role in safeguarding democracy, justice, and accountability. Yet when they are forced to flee, they encounter urgent personal, legal, and organizational challenges — from relocation hurdles and restricted mobility to long-term barriers to employment and advocacy.
This session, moderated by ODIHR, will explore how an EU Directive could address these gaps and strengthen protection mechanisms. Drawing on institutional insights and lived experiences, participants — including representatives of Araminta and exiled HRDs — will discuss how international frameworks, the European Union, and national governments can respond more effectively to the urgent needs of displaced defenders.
Event 2: Safe Pathways for Human Rights Defenders — Practical Solutions in Times of Growing Risks and Prolonged Exile
📅 Date & Time: 16 October 2025 | 14:30 – 15:30
📍 Venue: (to be confirmed)
🗣️ Language: English
🤝 Convenors: Araminta, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Voices in Exile
With the war in Ukraine, rising authoritarianism, and shrinking civic space across the OSCE region, the need for safe pathways for HRDs has never been greater. This event will present replicable models of protection based on successful humanitarian visa and relocation programmes in Canada, Germany, and Poland.
Speakers will include:
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Tamilla Imanova, Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre
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Czarina Golda S. Musni, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
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Jennifer Gaspar, Araminta (DE)
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Aleksandra Iwanowska, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (PL)
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Frederick John Packard, Voices in Exile (CAN)
Moderator: Brigitte Dufour, Director of International Partnership for Human Rights
The discussion will examine national practices and emerging risks, from Poland’s targeted humanitarian visa scheme for HRDs to the potential rollback of similar programmes elsewhere. Within the framework of the OSCE Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the event invites governments and institutions to demonstrate leadership and solidarity while navigating complex migration and security contexts.
“Defenders are the backbone of democracy,” says a Human Rights Defender from Georgia. “When they are silenced or displaced, it weakens the global human rights fabric. Europe has both the responsibility and the tools to ensure they are protected.”
Join the Discussion
The side event aims to spark collaboration among policymakers, civil-society leaders, and the international community to develop practical solutions that uphold freedom, justice, and dignity beyond Europe’s borders.
