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Last night, as Xi Jinping landed in Washington for his first state visit in more than a decade, we projected the faces of eight political prisoners onto the streets of D.C.
Their names rolled through the city on truck ads. Their faces were prominently featured in Roll Call. Their families continue speaking up for them — because the Chinese Communist Party locked them up for peaceful acts: teaching, writing, worshipping, speaking, simply existing.
Joshua Wong, awaiting sentence on a charge that carries a maximum of life imprisonment. Owen Chow, sentenced to nearly 8 years in the HK47 case. Dr. Gulshan Abbas, taken days after her sister spoke in Washington. Ilham Tohti, serving life as a professor. Gao Zhen, sentenced to three years for art. Pastors Wang Lin, Gao Yingjia, and Gao Quanfu, imprisoned for leading their churches.
Today, as Xi sits down with President Trump, HRF has one simple request: #ReleaseThem
HRF honors Ruth’s unwavering courage, integrity, and leadership and demands her immediate and unconditional release. #LibertadParaRuth #JuicioPúblicoParaRuth
For over a year, officials have denied Ruth basic due process, prosecuting her in secret and refusing to fully implement the precautionary measures granted by the @IACHR. Her detention is emblematic of a broader, systematic crackdown that has forced activists and leading Salvadoran rights groups like Cristosal to move operations out of the country.
Yesterday, Salvadoran human rights defender and @Cristosal anti-corruption lawyer Ruth López (@Ruth_Lopez1977) spent another birthday behind bars, detained for her activism since May 18, 2025. She remains unjustly separated from her family and loved ones. HRF condemns her arbitrary imprisonment and calls for her immediate release.
Ruth has spent her career exposing high-level government corruption, defending democratic institutions, and holding the powerful to account for their abuses in El Salvador. In May 2025, Salvadoran officials arrested her on charges that lacked concrete evidence in a clear attempt by Nayib Bukele’s regime to intimidate civil society and silence critics.
At HRF, we believe democracy doesn't defend itself. It takes organizations on the frontlines, working every day to protect freedom under rising authoritarian pressure.
Researchers at @SyracuseU's Maxwell School are running a global survey, "On the Frontlines of Democracy," to map the pro-democracy movement worldwide — capturing the size, needs, and challenges of organizations doing this work.
If your organization works to protect and promote democracy (broadly defined), add your voice: The survey is anonymous, takes 15–20 minutes, and is available in 16 languages. Open until Oct 26. → bit.ly/frontlinessurvey
Human Rights Foundation (HRF) retweeted
Durante nuestra semana de incidencia en Nueva York, en el marco de la semana de alto nivel de la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas, el equipo de Ciudadanía y Libertad visitó la sede de @HRF Rights Foundation (HRF) junto al artista y exprisionero político @LMOAlcantara . Agradecemos especialmente a Roberto González, al equipo de HRF por recibirnos y a @ConJusticiaOrg.
El encuentro fue una oportunidad para conversar sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en Cuba y los desafíos más urgentes que enfrenta la sociedad civil independiente. Para Luis Manuel tuvo, además, un significado especial: visitar una organización que durante sus años de prisión acompañó de cerca su caso, denunció su encarcelamiento y reclamó reiteradamente su liberación. HRF llevó también su caso ante el Grupo de Trabajo de Naciones Unidas sobre la Detención Arbitraria, que determinó que su detención era arbitraria.
Uno de los momentos más emotivos de la visita llegó cuando Luis Manuel pudo sostener por primera vez el Premio Internacional Václav Havel para la Disidencia Creativa, que HRF le concedió en 2025 mientras permanecía encarcelado en Cuba. El reconocimiento distingue a artistas que utilizan la creatividad para desafiar la represión y defender la libertad.
Nuestra relación con HRF tiene además otros puntos de encuentro. La presidenta de Ciudadanía y Libertad, @carolinabferrer, fue Freedom Fellow de la organización y participó en el Oslo Freedom Forum tras su salida al exilio en 2022. A ello se suma una importante conexión con la historia de la lucha cubana por los derechos humanos: el exprisionero político Armando Valladares formó parte de la junta directiva de HRF y llegó a presidirla.
Para Ciudadanía y Libertad, estos encuentros permiten fortalecer alianzas y mantener la situación cubana en la agenda internacional, pero también conectar generaciones y experiencias de una misma lucha por los derechos, la libertad y una Cuba democrática.
HRF commemorates the 12th anniversary of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement by call for the release of pro-democracy activists still imprisoned for their peaceful advocacy. Twelve years later, Beijing continues to suppress freedoms in Hong Kong.
Many prominent participants have since faced imprisonment or exile. Joshua Wong remains imprisoned, while Nathan Law, Agnes Chow, and Alex Chow live abroad. Owen Chow, another 2014 participant, is serving a sentence of more than 12 years.
Human Rights Foundation (HRF) retweeted
So grateful to @jaketapper for giving me this opportunity to advocate for my elderly parents Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu, as well as other detained pastors from Light of Zion Church and Zion Church.
#FreeGaoQuanfu
#FreePangYu
#FreeLightofZionChurch
#FreeZionChurch
The families of China’s prisoners of conscience are still waiting for their loved ones to come home. Among them is Cherie Geng, whose husband, Pastor Gao Yingjia, has been arbitrarily detained for nearly a year.
Cherie now helps organize the families of other detained church members, coordinating calls, communicating with lawyers, and keeping attention on their cases. Her son still prays for his father to come home.
The cases of China’s prisoners of conscience should not be forgotten. HRF calls for the immediate release of Pastor Gao Yingjia and the other detained Zion Church members. #ReleaseThem
Human Rights Foundation (HRF) retweeted
It was an honor to welcome @LMOAlcantara to our office this week. Through our Impact Litigation Project, we are proud to have represented him pro bono before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. After five years in prison, his courage is unbroken.
After five years of imprisonment, Cuban artist and prisoner of conscience Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara (@LMOAlcantara) is no longer behind bars. This week, we had the honor of welcoming the 2025 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent laureate to our New York office. Pictured: Luis Manuel with HRF Chief Advocacy Officer Roberto González (@gmxrob).
Human Rights Foundation (HRF) retweeted
This week, on the eve of Xi Jinping's visit to DC, the Lantos Foundation joined with @HRF, family members of Chinese prisoners of conscience, activists, and advocates to call on Xi to release eight individuals unjustly imprisoned by his regime. Their names and faces were projected in prominent locations and on truck ads throughout the city. (Photos: HRF/Emily Chastain)
