SILENCED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
This exhibition is dedicated to voices that will not be heard at the 28th Forum 2000 Conference.
Facing travel bans, politically motivated detentions, or other forms of repression in their respective countries, a number of individuals and friends cannot be here with us today.
We stand in deep solidarity with those unjustly persecuted around the world for their work defending democratic values and freedoms.
Zhang Zhan
China
Re-detained in September 2024
A citizen journalist and former lawyer, Ms. Zhan traveled to Wuhan shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak in February 2020 to report on the impact of the lockdown measures imposed on the city. Questioning the handling of the crisis by authorities, Ms. Zhan was detained in May 2020 and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.
Ms. Zhan’s health significantly deteriorated during her time in prison, suffering from malnutrition and gastrointestinal disease. Since her release, she has reportedly been subject to surveillance, repeated interrogations, and threats of re-arrest by the Chinese authorities.
Ms. Zhan was accorded the Forum 2000 Foundation’s International Award for Courage and Responsibility in 2022.
Ales Bialiatski
Belarus
Imprisoned since April 21, 2023
Founder and Chair of the Viasna Human Rights Center, Mr. Bialiatski was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 2022 – having been nominated five times prior. Dedicating much of his life to promoting democracy in his home country – Belarus – Mr. Bialiatski was sentenced on April 21, 2023, to 10 years of imprisonment.
Prior to his detention and sentencing, he led attempts by Viasna to document the widespread abuses of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime following the 2020 presidential elections and subsequent peaceful mass demonstrations.
He was a political prisoner before, with the date of his previous arrest – August 4 – becoming the International Day of Solidarity with civil society and the human rights movement of Belarus.
Mr. Bialiatski is a Member of the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal.
Loujain al-Hathloul
Saudi Arabia
Facing restrictions on travel and public appearances
Ms. al-Hathloul is a Saudi women’s rights activist, social media figure, and former political prisoner.
Arrested on four different occasions, she remains dedicated to the cause of promoting the rights of women in Saudi Arabia, including contesting the driving ban and ending male guardianship. In addition, and due to the circumstances of her last arrest, she seeks to promote the rights of prisoners and to hold those who tortured and sexually abused her while in confinement accountable.
Released on February 10, 2021, Ms. al-Hathloul still faces legal restrictions, including an extended travel ban and limitations on public appearances.
Gubad Ibadoghlu
Azerbaijan
Under house arrest
Dr. Ibadoghlu is an academic, anti-corruption advocate and fossil fuel industry critic. He is a member of the UNCAC Stolen Asset Recovery group and registered youth scholarship foundation in London. Additionally, he conducted an investigation on the embezzlement of EU funds in Nagorno-Karabakh and published articles on Azerbaijan's assistance to Russia in evading sanctions.
Detained in July 2023, Dr. Ibadoghlu has been kept under house arrest since April 2024. He is suffering from a heart condition and is in need of urgent surgery, yet has no access to medical care while under house arrest.
His case is indefinitely frozen by the Azerbaijani authorities, and potentially he faces 17 years imprisonment.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar
Sentenced on December 30, 2022
Serving as the state counsellor of Myanmar and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2016 and 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi is a noted prisoner of conscience and an advocate of nonviolent resistance.
From 1989 and 2010, she spent nearly 15 years under house arrest. During this time, Václav Havel continuously supported her on the international stage and – symbolically - repeatedly invited her to the Forum 2000 Conferences. In 2013, she could finally attend the Forum 2000 Conference in Prague and address its Opening Ceremony.
After the military junta took power in a coup d’etat in February 2021, she was again subjected to persecution by the regime. Today, Aung San Suu Kyi serves a ‘reduced’ sentence of 27 years, a detention condemned by the United Nations, U.S., and many European countries as politically motivated.
José Daniel Ferrer García
Cuba
Repeated imprisonment
Mr. Ferrer García is an internationally recognized human rights defender, political prisoner, leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and promoter of Cuba Decide. He has been imprisoned on numerous occasions by the Cuban regime for his political activity.
He participated, alongside Oswaldo Payá, in collecting signatures for the Varela Project, in which 25,000 signatories requested the Cuban government to guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and democracy. As one of the leaders of this project, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. After 8 years of imprisonment between 2003 and 2011, he founded UNPACU, which has since become a leading opposition movement in Cuba
Mr. Ferrer García is a Member of Democratic Solidarity Latin America and the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal.
Annar Mammadli
Azerbaijan
Detained on April 29, 2024
Mr. Mammadli is the Founder and Chair of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, which conducts independent election monitoring in Azerbaijan. He is a vocal critic of the Azerbaijani authorities’ election practices.
In 2014, he received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, awarded jointly by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Václav Havel Library. This year, he was detained by Azerbaijani police on charges of financial smuggling, prompting an outpouring of international support and a statement of solidarity from the Forum 2000 Foundation and Václav Havel Library.
Mr. Mammadli was already imprisoned once in December 2013 for alleged economic crimes after openly criticizing the conduct of the then presidential elections. He was pardoned, together with other civil society leaders, in 2016, after nearly 2.5 years of imprisonment.
He is a Member of the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal.
Rocío San Miguel
Venezuela
Imprisoned since February 9, 2024
Ms. San Miguel is a lawyer and human rights activist, specializing in military issues. She is also the President of the NGO ‘Control Ciudadano’, which monitors the Venezuelan military's role in governance and advocates for civilian oversight.
She is known for her criticism of human rights violations and militarization under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, and has faced threats due to her activism. Her work focuses on ensuring transparency and upholding democratic principles in Venezuela.
Venezuelan authorities have accused Ms. San Miguel of being part of a plot to assassinate Maduro. She has reportedly been charged with treason, conspiracy and terrorism.
Ms. San Miguel was accorded the Forum 2000 Foundation’s International Award for Courage and Responsibility in 2024.
Joshua Wong
Hong Kong
Repeatedly imprisoned
Mr. Wong first gained international recognition due to his involvement with the Umbrella Movement of the 2014 protests in Hong Kong. For his important role, Mr. Wong was nominated for Person of the Year in 2014 by Time Magazine, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.
A staunch advocate for democracy, he partnered with the Forum 2000 Foundation in 2020 to spread this message of civil empowerment to people around the world. He also helped found and lead the pro-democratic Demosistō Party until the Hong Kong National Security Law forced the party to disband in 2020. As party leader, Mr. Wong was convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law, and is now facing significant jail time that could even extend to life in prison.