Lantos Foundation to Honor Three Remarkable Afghan Women with the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize

Media contact:
Chelsea Hedquist
+1 603.229.2017
chelsea@lantosfoundation.org

January 24, 2022 – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice is thrilled to announce the three extraordinary Afghan women who will be jointly awarded the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize: Judge Fawzia Amini, Ms. Roya Mahboob, and Ms. Khalida Popal. Each of these women has worked fearlessly and tirelessly to promote and protect the rights of Afghan women, in their own unique way and from within their respective fields – including the legal profession, the tech business world, and the sports arena. The Lantos Foundation originally announced on December 10 that the 2021 Lantos Prize would honor the women of Afghanistan and today it is releasing the names of the Lantos Prize recipients.

“It was a challenging task to identify three women to recognize with our highest human rights honor, simply because there are so many impressive, courageous, and inspiring Afghan women who have made contributions to the field of human rights and women’s rights,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “While many Afghan women would be worthy recipients of the Lantos Prize, we felt that Judge Amini, Ms. Mahboob, and Ms. Popal particularly embody the idea of a human rights champion and represent the diversity of ways that Afghan women have had an impact on human rights. We are so delighted to have the chance to honor these three women for their specific achievements – but we also feel that they will accept the Prize as representatives of their fellow Afghan women, many of whom now face the terrifying reality of a return to life under the Taliban’s oppressive rule.”

The 2021 Lantos Prize will be conferred at a ceremony in Washington, DC, which will be held later this spring. The ceremony will not only recognize the contributions of Afghan women to the struggle for human rights but will also serve as a platform to urge the United States government and other democratic nations to help ensure the safety, wellbeing and fundamental rights of all women in Afghanistan – and to offer support and aid for women who wish to flee the country. The ceremony will also take the opportunity to honor the generous and courageous rescuers who have, on their own initiative, helped Afghan women who are in danger to leave the country in the past several months and resettle elsewhere. More details about the 2021 Lantos Prize ceremony will be made available in the coming weeks.

“It is a great honor to receive the Lantos Prize,” said Judge Amini from the United Kingdom, where she has recently resettled after fleeing Afghanistan last autumn. “It is my wish that this honor will bring attention to the threats facing the women of Afghanistan, and particularly my fellow women judges. I was fortunate to be able to leave the country, but many of them have been unable to leave and they remain in grave danger. It is my duty now to advocate for them. I will continue to share this message: The Taliban have institutionalized discrimination against women. They have denied our fundamental rights. We cannot forget the women of Afghanistan.”

“I accept this award with a sense of deep pride and gratitude that my efforts to extend the fundamental right of education to all the women and girls of Afghanistan are being recognized,” said Ms. Mahboob from New York, where she resides. “The Lantos Prize will honor not only my work, but that of my dedicated team members, as well as the resilience, talent, and courage of the women and girls we work with across Afghanistan. Education is the way we push back against extremism and bring real change to the people of Afghanistan, and I am committed to continuing this work, no matter the challenges we face.”  

“I am grateful to receive the Lantos Prize in recognition of my work to empower women and girls through sport,” said Ms. Popal from Denmark, where she has lived since 2011. “I envision a day when women all around the world realize their own power and the strength that comes from standing together as sisters. I will continue working towards that day and towards a world in which no group, government, or patriarchal culture will be able dominate, oppress, and violate the human rights of one half of society.”

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Judge Fawzia Amini held numerous positions in the Afghan government for more than two decades, including as head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs. She later became a senior judge in the Supreme Court of Afghanistan and head of the Violence against Women Court, where she settled hundreds of cases against perpetrators of violence. During her time in government, Judge Amini was a member of the drafting committee of the Elimination of Violence against Women Law, the Family Law, and regulations for protection centers for women at risk. She worked closely with the Ministry of Justice to review laws from a gender perspective and ensure the protection of women’s rights, and she conducted hundreds of capacity building trainings on legal issues linked to women’s rights. She also played a role in Afghanistan’s accession to key international conventions on women and children, such as the UN Convention Against Torture, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and others. When the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, Judge Amini was forced into hiding after receiving numerous threats against her life. With assistance from the International Bar Association, she and nearly 100 women judges were able to escape from the country. Upon her arrival to the United Kingdom, Judge Amini immediately turned her attention and energy to advocating for the protection and rescue of the women judges who remain in Afghanistan.

Roya Mahboob is an entrepreneur and Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO, but her impact extends far beyond the sphere of business. Ms. Mahboob has used her success and tech expertise to help educate and empower Afghan women and girls, and she has been an outspoken advocate for their rights. She founded the Digital Citizen Fund, a nonprofit that aims to increase Afghan women’s technological and financial literacy and through which she also co-founded and supports the Afghan Girls Robotics Team. Ms. Mahboob has worked to build Internet-enabled classrooms across Afghanistan, has launched an online platform to strengthen the voices of Afghan women and journalists, and she regularly speaks and writes eloquently about the vital importance of education to building peaceful, just societies that respect human rights. Ms. Mahboob was named to TIME’s 2013 list of 100 Most Influential People. Following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Ms. Mahboob played a crucial role in helping members of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team escape from the country.

Khalida Popal began breaking down barriers and empowering women in Afghanistan in 2007, when she helped found the Afghan National Women’s Soccer Team. She served as the team captain, and she later became the first woman ever hired by the Afghanistan Football Federation. When it became clear that she was no longer safe in the country, she went into exile and has continued her advocacy for the rights of women and girls by establishing the Denmark-based Girl Power Organisation. Girl Power encourages women’s empowerment through sport, particularly for refugee and migrant girls. Ms. Popal has become an outspoken and deeply respected advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan and beyond. A former defender on the soccer field, she is now a defender and champion of human rights around the globe. Amid the recent fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, she worked tirelessly to help dozens of female soccer players from the senior and junior national teams escape and relocate. She has continued to support these girls and their families as they transition to their new countries of residence.

About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson, among others.

Lantos Foundation Statement: Celtics Must Stand with Enes Kanter Freedom

When the Boston Celtics signed a new center in August 2021, they were signing a Turkish player by the name of Enes Kanter. Today, that same center is a newly minted American citizen whose legal name is Enes Kanter Freedom, and he has become one of the boldest, most courageous, and passionate voices speaking out against human rights abuses in China and elsewhere in the world.

Enes Kanter Freedom has long been a vocal critic of Turkish President Erdogan’s human rights violations, but this past year he has shown great moral courage by speaking up for self-determination in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as protesting the repression of Tibetan Buddhists and the genocide being carried out against the Uyghurs of Xinjiang. His bravery in using his platform as an NBA player to shine a spotlight on these and other issues should be applauded, encouraged and supported. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, it has earned him a great deal of backlash, including having his Turkish passport revoked by the Erdogan regime. Here in the United States, he has met with limited support and even outright resistance from the NBA, which appears ever more beholden to the economic might of China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Rather than urging other athletes to follow his brave example, reports allege that the NBA asked Kanter Freedom not to wear his now iconic “Free Tibet” shoes during the Celtics season opener.

As the Boston Celtics contemplate whether to release Kanter Freedom as a free agent, the Lantos Foundation strongly urges Celtics CEO Wycliffe Grousbeck to do the right thing and ensure that this player, who is a credit to both his team and to his new country, does not lose his place in the NBA as a punishment for his outspoken advocacy. By standing with Kanter Freedom, the Celtics would send a powerful message that they refuse to bend to the whims of brutal dictators like Xi Jinping and that they have a sincere respect for fundamental human rights and the dignity of all people. This is a particularly important message to send, with the Opening Ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics scheduled to take place in Beijing in less than a month.

Now, more than ever, people in positions of influence and power, like Mr. Grousbeck, must put values, morals and human rights ahead of profit – and he must do so by standing with Kanter Freedom. If he does, we hope it will signal to other athletes that if they have the moral courage to use their platform and influence for good, their organizations will have their backs. That would perhaps be the most important impact of all, leading to a proliferation of powerful athlete advocates for human rights. This is the legacy that Mr. Grousbeck and the Celtics could begin to build by securing Enes Kanter Freedom’s place on their team.

HRF & Lantos to Democracies: Leave Your Olympic Box Seats Empty in Protest

NEW YORK (January 4, 2022) — With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics one month away, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice (Lantos Foundation) call on democratic governments to commit to a diplomatic boycott of the Games, and refuse to send official representation. By leaving their box seats empty, particularly at the marquee event of the Opening Ceremonies, democratic nations can send a powerful message in support of fundamental human rights.

Authoritarian regimes have historically weaponized global sporting events, such as the Olympics, to whitewash their human rights abuses. The glitz and glamor of such events has drowned out the suffering of millions of people living under dictatorships, and allows these authoritarian regimes — among them, China’s regime — to grandstand on the world stage alongside leaders from democratic countries. With Xi Jinping at its helm, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has belligerently attacked fundamental human rights in Tibet, the Uyghur Region (Xinjiang), and Hong Kong, and has unleashed its economic might to silence critics globally.

As a response to the CCP’s abuses, in December 2021, the Biden Administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympics in China, which are scheduled to take place from February 4-20. Among the human rights violations specified by the Biden administration, were China’s mass detention camps in the Uyghur Region (Xinjiang) and its campaign of forced sterilization against the Uyghurs. Several other countries, including Canada, Australia, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom have also announced diplomatic boycotts, similarly citing China’s appalling human rights record and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The Olympics, which aim to unify nations and promote shared values like respect for human dignity, must not be weaponized as a stage for China’s authoritarian government to whitewash its abuses. The very least that governments can do, is to show their solidarity with the people of Tibet, the Uyghur Region, and Hong Kong by leaving their seats empty at the Olympic Games,” said HRF President Céline Assaf-Boustani. “We applaud the governments that have already committed to diplomatic boycotts, and we encourage all other countries that value human rights, justice, and the rule of law to follow suit. It is imperative for the global community to stand together to send a powerful message to the CCP that its human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” 

With its appalling human rights record, Beijing should never have been given the opportunity to become the first city in history to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. However, despite international public outcry against the host country’s abuses and the diplomatic boycott commitments already made by democratic governments, the 2022 Olympics appear poised to go ahead as planned. 

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has demonstrated its utter disregard for human rights by awarding Beijing the Olympics, even though its human rights violations have only grown in severity since Beijing last hosted the Summer Games in 2008,” said President of the Lantos Foundation Katrina Lantos Swett. “The IOC may be willing to overlook the CCP’s misdeeds, but the international community cannot, and must not. Countries around the world can make known their support for the human rights and dignity of all people by refusing to dignify the 2022 Winter Olympics, which some have dubbed the ‘Genocide Games,’ with official representation.”

As HRF and the Lantos Foundation join forces in their condemnation of China’s human rights violations and calls for diplomatic boycotts of the Olympics, it is more important than ever that the international community boldly take a stand against the CCP over its shameless disregard for human rights and the rule of law. 

More information about HRF and the Lantos Foundation’s “Empty Box” Campaign, urging governments to leave their Olympic box seats empty in peaceful protest, is available here. 

To learn more about how the Olympics can legitimize the rule of authoritarian regimes, read HRF CEO Thor Halvorssen and Lantos Foundation President Katrina Lantos Swett’s op-ed, Don’t Let Dictators Grandstand with World Leaders in Tokyo. Reclaim Olympics Values.

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. For interview requests of further comment, please e-mail media@hrf.org.

The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice was established to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners on issues that span the globe, with a focus on rule of law and religious freedom. For media requests, please e-mail Chelsea Hedquist at chelsea@lantosfoundation.org.

Lantos Foundation Files Magnitsky Submission with U.K. Foreign Office

Media contact:

Chelsea Hedquist

+1 603.229.2017

chelsea@lantosfoundation.org 

Lantos Foundation Files Magnitsky Submission with U.K. Foreign Office, Urging British Government to Sanction Rwandan Officials Involved in Kidnapping and Torture of “Hotel Rwanda” Hero

December 15, 2021 – The Lantos Foundation today filed a formal U.K. Global Human Rights Sanctions submission with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), urging it to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions against two Rwandan individuals involved in the kidnapping and torture of Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian hero of Hotel Rwanda. The two individuals named in the filing are former Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye and head of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Colonel Jeannot Ruhunga. The Foundation submitted a similar filing to the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury in May 2021, which was automatically transmitted to officials in the U.K. at the time. Now a new submission, adapted to align with specific U.K. regulations, has been filed directly with the FCDO.

The submission follows a Westminster Hall debate held by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Magnitsky Sanctions on December 8, during which members of the APPG recommended that the U.K. Government sanction both Busingye and Ruhunga for their involvement in human rights violations. The APPG also recommended sanctions for individuals involved in human rights abuses in China, Iran and Sudan.

Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett said, “I am truly grateful to the British MPs and peers who are boldly standing up to the dictatorial regime of Rwanda and firmly asserting that its actions against Paul Rusesabagina have been a flagrant violation of his human rights. Now it is time for the FCDO to take their recommendation, along with the Lantos Foundation’s Global Human Rights submission, and respond with real, tangible action in the form of Magnitsky-style sanctions against the two Rwandan officials in question. There is unequivocal evidence that former Minister Busingye and Colonel Ruhunga violated the basic human rights of a humanitarian hero, and a strong response by the British government is not only fully warranted but would be particularly impactful, given Rwanda’s status as a member of the Commonwealth.”

It can often prove difficult to build a case for Magnitsky-style sanctions that establishes government officials’ direct involvement in and responsibility for human rights abuses. However, in the case of Paul Rusesabagina’s August 2020 kidnapping and subsequent torture, the complicity and responsibility of both Busingye and Ruhunga is crystal clear. Busingye admitted during a televised interview on Al Jazeera in February 2021 that the Rwandan government paid for the plane that transported Rusesabagina, without his knowledge, to Kigali, Rwanda. Colonel Ruhunga, as head of the RIB, not only oversaw the operation to kidnap Rusesabagina but was also named in a jailhouse transcript as one of two people who visited Rusesabagina when he was held incommunicado and tortured in an unknown location during the three days between the time he was kidnapped and when he was presented in handcuffs in Kigali. In addition, it has since been made public that Rusesabagina was held in solitary confinement for more than 250 days in clear violation of the United Nations’ Mandela Rule, which sets a threshold of 15 days for such confinement and defines anything beyond that as torture.

The U.S. has not yet taken public action to sanction Busingye and Ruhunga, but the matter is particularly urgent in the United Kingdom. Mr. Busingye was abruptly relieved of his duties as Justice Minister earlier this year and named by President Paul Kagame as Rwanda’s high commissioner, or ambassador, to the United Kingdom. At the time, the Lantos Foundation urged the U.K. Government not to accept Mr. Busingye’s credentials and instead to apply Magnitsky-style sanctions for his clear role in the human rights abuses against Mr. Rusesabagina. Speaking at the Westminster Hall debate last week, Chris Bryant MP, Chair of the APPG on Magnitsky Sanctions, remarked, “As far as I understand it, the U.K. has still not yet given its agrément to this appointment. I hope it will announce today that it has absolutely no intention of doing so because [Busingye] should be on our list of sanctioned individuals, not people being escorted to Buckingham Palace to have their credentials agreed by Her Majesty.”

Dr. Lantos Swett said, “I sincerely hope to see the British government follow through on these actions. Moreover, I would hope that strong action taken by the U.K. would encourage the United States to abandon its shameful policy of inaction regarding Paul Rusesabagina’s illegal kidnapping, torture and detention and finally engage publicly on behalf of a man who is not only one of its own, a U.S. Permanent Resident, but who has been awarded America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

Background: Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian hero whose story was depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda, received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and was honored in 2011 with the Lantos Human Rights Prize. In late August 2020, he was kidnapped and flown against his will to Kigali, Rwanda. He was imprisoned, tortured and forced to undergo a sham trial that ended in October 2021 with a guilty verdict, at which time he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. A variety of legal organizations, human rights groups and government officials from around the world have decried the illegal rendition and trial, noting that Mr. Rusesabagina’s rights have been violated at virtually every stage. As a 67-year-old man with serious health conditions, his family and other supporters have implored the Rwandan government to release him immediately on humanitarian grounds. 

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, among others.

2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize to Honor Afghan Women

As we have watched the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan over the past several months, the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice has been deeply moved and concerned by stories of the Taliban systematically undoing all the progress that was made over the past two decades on human rights – and particularly women’s and girls’ rights. We have watched these developments with a sense of true anguish and heartbreak, but we have been simultaneously inspired by the courageous individuals who have continued to fight for the rights of Afghan women, both within the country and from outside.  

It seems only fitting, then, that the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize recognize and honor these brave women who have done so much to move human rights forward in Afghanistan and beyond. We are in the process of selecting a small group of Afghan women from different spheres of influence – from politics to law, from business to sports – to honor as our 2021 Lantos Prize awardees. By honoring them, we aim to shine a light not only on their work and achievements, but also on those of so many other Afghan women, many of whom now face a terrifying return to life under the Taliban’s oppressive rule.  

At our 2021 Lantos Prize ceremony, to be held in early 2022, we will recognize the remarkable contributions of Afghan women to the struggle for human rights. We will urge the United States government and other democratic nations to help ensure the safety, wellbeing and fundamental rights of all women in Afghanistan – and to offer support and aid for women who wish to flee the country. Finally, we will honor some of the generous and courageous rescuers who have, on their own initiative, helped Afghan women who are in danger to leave the country and resettle elsewhere.  

While the Taliban may make statements and gestures indicating that it has evolved on the issue of women’s rights, the devastating stories from within Afghanistan paint a dire picture and should sound the alarm for all countries that value and respect human rights. We must stand with the women of Afghanistan, and we must reaffirm that women’s rights are, indeed, human rights.  

We will release the full list of 2021 Lantos Prize recipients after the New Year, and we look forward with great anticipation to honoring a group of extraordinary women early next year.

Lantos Foundation Applauds British Parliament’s Magnitsky Caucus Recommendation to Sanction Rwandan Officials

Media contact:

Chelsea Hedquist

+1 603.229.2017

chelsea@lantosfoundation.org

Lantos Foundation Applauds British Parliament’s Magnitsky Caucus Recommendation to Sanction Rwandan Officials

December 9, 2021 – The Lantos Foundation applauds the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Magnitsky Sanctions for its decision to recommend that the U.K. Government sanction two individuals involved in the kidnapping and torture of Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian hero of Hotel Rwanda. Members of the APPG on Magnitsky Sanctions, a cross-peer group of the British Parliament, held a Westminster Hall debate on December 8 highlighting key human rights abusers and urging the government to take action to ensure they face consequences for their violations. Former Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye and head of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Colonel Jeannot Ruhunga were among the individuals recommended for sanctioning. 

The Lantos Foundation filed a Magnitsky submission in May 2021, urging the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury to sanction Busingye and Ruhunga, both of whom have publicly admitted their involvement in the illegal rendition of Mr. Rusesabagina. The U.S. has not yet taken public action to sanction the Rwandan officials named in the filing, though the Lantos Foundation continues to advocate for it to do so. The Foundation has also called on other democratic nations that have adopted Magnitsky-style legislation, including the United Kingdom, to impose sanctions on Busingye and Ruhunga.  

The question of whether to sanction Mr. Busingye is particularly relevant to the U.K., as he was abruptly relieved of his duties as Justice Minister earlier this year and named as Rwanda’s high commissioner, or ambassador, to the United Kingdom. At the time, the Lantos Foundation urged the U.K. Government not to accept Mr. Busingye’s credentials and instead to apply Magnitsky sanctions for his clear role in the human rights abuses against Mr. Rusesabagina.  

Speaking at the Westminster Hall debate, Chris Bryant MP, Chair of the APPG on Magnitsky Sanctions, remarked, “As far as I understand it, the U.K. has still not yet given its agrément to this appointment. I hope it will announce today that it has absolutely no intention of doing so because [Busingye] should be on our list of sanctioned individuals, not people being escorted to Buckingham Palace to have their credentials agreed by Her Majesty.” 

Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett said, “I am truly grateful to Chris Bryant and the other British MPs and peers who are boldly standing up to the dictatorial regime of Rwanda and firmly asserting that its actions against Paul Rusesabagina have been a flagrant violation of his human rights. By lifting the curtain on the human rights violations of a fellow member of the Commonwealth, these legislators are leading the way toward righting this egregious wrong and helping get Mr. Rusesabagina released and returned home to his family. Their actions stand in stark contrast to the U.S. Government, which still refuses to publicly engage on behalf of one of its own. The inaction on the part of the U.S., where Paul is a Permanent Resident, is shameful and incredibly frustrating for all those who stand on the side of the justice.” 

Background: Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian hero whose story was depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda, received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and was honored in 2011 with the Lantos Human Rights Prize. In late August 2020, he was kidnapped and flown against his will to Kigali, Rwanda. He was imprisoned, tortured and forced to undergo a sham trial that ended in October 2021 with a guilty verdict, at which time he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. A variety of legal organizations, human rights groups and government officials from around the world have decried the illegal rendition and trial, noting that Mr. Rusesabagina’s rights have been violated at virtually every stage. As a 67-year-old man with serious health conditions, his family and other supporters have implored the Rwandan government to release him immediately on humanitarian grounds. 

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, among others.

Lantos Foundation Joins Rusesabagina Family at British House of Lords

Media contact:

Chelsea Hedquist

+1 603.229.2017

chelsea@lantosfoundation.org

Lantos Foundation Joins Rusesabagina Family at British House of Lords to Advocate for Magnitsky Sanctions against Rwandan Officials Involved in Kidnapping of Hotel Rwanda Hero

December 2, 2021 – Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice, appeared with the daughters of Paul Rusesabagina, the hero of Hotel Rwanda currently languishing in a Kigali prison, last week during a meeting at the British House of Lords. The purpose of the meeting, which included a distinguished list of peers, members of British Parliament and high-level representatives from civil society, was to discuss the illegal rendition and arbitrary detention of Paul Rusesabagina, as well as ongoing human rights abuses and violations of his legal rights throughout his more than 450 days of imprisonment.  

Specifically, the meeting participants discussed the potential for using Magnitsky-style sanctions against Rwandan government officials involved in the kidnapping and mistreatment of Mr. Rusesabagina. The Lantos Foundation filed a Magnitsky submission in May 2021, urging the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury to sanction then-Justice Minister Johnston Busingye and head of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Colonel Jeannot Ruhunga. Both individuals have publicly admitted their involvement in the kidnapping and illegal detention of Mr. Rusesabagina. The Lantos Foundation filing requested that the United States apply Magnitsky sanctions – targeted sanctions that can freeze U.S.-based assets and enact visa bans in the case of human rights violations and corruption – against Mr. Busingye and Mr. Ruhunga. 

The U.S. has not yet taken public action to sanction the Rwandan officials named in the Lantos Foundation’s filing, but the question of whether to sanction Mr. Busingye is particularly relevant to the United Kingdom. Rwandan President Paul Kagame abruptly relieved Mr. Busingye of his duties as Justice Minister earlier this year and named him as Rwanda’s high commissioner, or ambassador, to the United Kingdom. At the time, the Lantos Foundation urged the U.K. Government not to accept Mr. Busingye’s credentials and instead to apply Magnitsky sanctions for his clear role in the human rights abuses against Mr. Rusesabagina.  

Three of Paul Rusesabagina’s daughters spoke before the high-level delegation at the House of Lords on Thursday, November 25, to advocate for the United Kingdom to take stronger action to pressure the Rwandan government to release their father. The briefing was chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC, and was attended by members of both the House of Lords and the British Parliament, including the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions, Mr. Chris Bryant MP, and representatives from REDRESS. Bill Browder, head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign and the 2019 Lantos Human Rights Prize laureate, also spoke at the meeting.

Meeting participants (l to r) Lys Rusesabagina (daughter of Paul Rusesabagina), human rights attorney Kate Gibson, Carine Kanimba (daughter), Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC, Bill Browder, Anaîse Kanimba (daughter), media personality Paul Blezard, Lord Daniel Brennan, QC. 

In addition to discussing Magnitsky sanctions, the meeting also addressed whether the actions taken by the Rwandan government against Mr. Rusesabagina are incompatible with the values of Commonwealth. As the newest member of the Commonwealth Group (joined in 2009), Rwanda has committed to upholding a wide variety of human rights and protections for all citizens, including those who disagree with the government. Mr. Rusesabagina is one of numerous critics, dissidents and political prisoners who have been arrested, tortured or even killed for the exercise of what is clearly considered free speech in other countries of the Commonwealth and in democracies around the world. The conduct of the Rwandan government in this regard has raised the interest and concern of many in the United Kingdom, particularly with Rwanda due to host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

Background: Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian hero whose story was depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda, received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and was honored in 2011 with the Lantos Human Rights Prize. In late August 2020, he was kidnapped and flown against his will to Kigali, Rwanda. He was imprisoned, tortured and forced to undergo a sham trial that ended in October 2021 with a guilty verdict, at which time he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. A variety of legal organizations, human rights groups and government officials from around the world have decried the illegal rendition and trial, noting that Mr. Rusesabagina’s rights have been violated at virtually every stage. As a 67-year-old man with serious health conditions, his family and other supporters have implored the Rwandan government to release him immediately on humanitarian grounds.

Videos from the meeting in support of Paul Rusesabagina:

Baroness Kennedy, QC

Bill Browder   

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, among others.

Lantos Foundation Supports "Man of the Year" Documentary

Media contact:

Chelsea Hedquist

+1 603.229.2017

chelsea@lantosfoundation.org 

Lantos Foundation Supports Man of the Year Documentary, Exposing Dark Truth Behind Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s Propaganda 

October 4, 2021 – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice today announced its financial support for a forthcoming documentary in the early stages of production – Man of the Year, a first-of-its-kind film that will take a deep and unfiltered look at the truth behind the lies of Rwanda’s brutal dictatorship.

For more than two decades since Rwanda’s tragic genocide, President Paul Kagame has manipulated and bent the world’s most powerful people and organizations to his will, successfully getting them to adopt his false narrative and simultaneously turn a blind eye to his ruthless repression. Man of the Year follows survivors of the genocide and activists who courageously risk their lives to expose the deadly workings of the Rwandan regime and the disinformation campaign orchestrated by Kagame and his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). 

“Paul Kagame is a complex figure who has had some notable achievements, but his descent into brutal dictatorship has been ignored for too long,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “The time has come to expose the dark side of the ‘darling dictator’, and Man of the Year promises to do just that. I am so pleased that the Lantos Foundation can play a part in supporting this worthy project, as I truly believe it has the potential to break through Kagame’s propaganda machine and make it impossible for the world to continue to ignore his regime’s human rights abuses.”

Man of the Year is poised to be a tour-de-force, combining the best elements of investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking. With never-before-seen footage from inside Rwanda, including of Rwandan human rights activists shortly before their arrests, and exclusive access to former ruling RPF officials and United Nations documents, the filmmakers expose the machine that turned a one-sided narrative into official dogma. They demonstrate how journalists, academics, and well-meaning global philanthropists became accidental propagandists for Kagame’s regime, and they show the devastating consequences for those who dared to speak out – and have been silenced. 

Man of the Year is directed by Benedict Moran, an award-winning filmmaker who has directed, reported and produced for major global broadcasters and publications in dozens of countries.

As part of the Lantos Foundation’s support, Man of the Year received financial assistance through the Front Line Fund grant program, which was created to assist brave individuals and organizations in their fight against injustices around the world. The Foundation’s Front Line Fund has made more than 150 small grants to individuals and organizations located across the globe, from the United States to Canada, Germany, India, China, Bangladesh, the Middle East and more. In keeping with the Foundation’s focus on “Activist Artists”, the Foundation supports select film and book projects through the Front Line Fund, as well as other human rights-related art initiatives that aim to shine a spotlight on major human rights challenges and expose human rights abusers. 

For more information about Man of the Year, please visit: manoftheyear.film

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, among others.

Lantos Foundation Calls on U.K. Foreign Ministry to Reject Credentials of Newly Appointed Rwandan Ambassador

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact:

Chelsea Hedquist

+1 603.229.2017

chelsea@lantosfoundation.org

Lantos Foundation Calls on U.K. Foreign Ministry to Reject Credentials of Newly Appointed Rwandan Ambassador

U.K. Government instead urged to investigate appointee’s human rights violations and impose Magnitsky-style sanctions

September 9, 2021 – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice today called upon the U.K. Foreign Ministry to reject the credentials of the newly appointed Rwandan Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Johnston Busingye, and to instead carefully investigate human rights violations committed by him, which could result in the imposition of Magnitsky-style sanctions.

Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett has written directly to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, encouraging him to reject the credentials of Mr. Busingye based on the evidence that he played a key role in the extraordinary rendition and kidnapping of Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda, in late August 2020. At the time of Mr. Rusesabagina’s kidnapping and subsequent arrest, Mr. Busingye served as Rwanda’s Minister of Justice, the agency which has overseen Rusesabagina’s capture, imprisonment and subsequent sham trial. Then-Minister Busingye admitted during a televised interview on Al Jazeera in February 2021 that the Rwandan government had paid for the plane that transported Mr. Rusesabagina, against his will and without his knowledge, to Kigali. Mr. Busingye’s own statements make his complicity in the kidnapping of Mr. Rusesabagina crystal clear.

In light of the clear evidence of Mr. Busingye’s involvement in the kidnapping, the Lantos Foundation filed a formal submission to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Treasury in May 2021, recommending Global Magnitsky sanctions against Mr. Busingye and another high-ranking official from the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB). The submission made the case that these men played a significant role in grave human rights violations for which they should be held accountable. This submission was simultaneously transmitted to authorities in the U.K. for consideration. Neither country has taken action to impose sanctions, to date.

On September 1, 2021, Rwandan President Paul Kagame unceremoniously dismissed Mr. Busingye from his role as Minister of Justice. He gave no reason and has not announced a replacement to lead the Ministry of Justice. He did, however, appoint Mr. Busingye as Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom – effectively removing him from the country just weeks before a verdict is expected in the sham trial against Mr. Rusesabagina, which has been underway for nearly seven months.

“President Paul Kagame may believe that by sending Johnston Busingye to London, he can divert the focus from the former Justice Minister’s shameful actions and the way he brazenly violated the basic human rights of a humanitarian hero,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett. “But nations who respect human rights cannot allow Kagame to try and sweep these violations under the rug by simply assigning Mr. Busingye elsewhere. We call upon Foreign Secretary Raab and the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to refuse to legitimize Mr. Busingye by accepting his credentials as the Rwandan Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Furthermore, the British Government should seriously and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of Mr. Rusesabagina’s kidnapping and Mr. Busingye’s involvement in these events. If they find the case that we have submitted compelling, and I truly believe they will, it is imperative that they immediately consider Magnitsky-style sanctions against Mr. Busingye and his accomplices.”

Mr. Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen and U.S. Permanent Resident, has been an outspoken critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who human rights organizations, journalists and policymakers around the world have increasingly characterized as a brutal dictator. Mr. Rusesabagina had stated publicly on several occasions that he could not return to his native country for fear of retribution, and last August he believed he was traveling from his home in Texas to a speaking engagement in Burundi. The private jet he boarded after a layover in Dubai in fact transported him to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, whereupon he was disappeared for three full days before reappearing in the custody of the RIB. Tragically, Mr. Rusesabagina is not the first critic of the Rwandan government to find himself in this situation – or one that is even worse. Over the past several years under President Paul Kagame, the Rwandan government has demonstrated an alarming pattern of subjecting its critics to a range of gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, unlawful imprisonments and extrajudicial killings.

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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. The Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, Bill Browder, the driving force behind the global Magnitsky movement, among others.

A letter from Annette Lantos : Celebrating a human rights legacy on my 90th Birthday

Dear friends,

On June 27, I will celebrate my 90th birthday. As that day approaches, I find myself considering with wonder and gratitude my nine decades of life and all that I have experienced. As a young girl in Hungary, forced to flee from the Nazis, I often thought that I would not live to see my 20th birthday, let alone my 90th. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the humanitarian hero Raoul Wallenberg, both I and my beloved husband Tom received a precious second chance at life. From the ashes of the Holocaust, we – like many of our fellow survivors – built a wonderful life in America. Today, I am a proud mother and grandmother, and I am a great-grandmother to 24 beautiful children. The family Tom and I created is, for me, the greatest triumph over the darkness and evil I witnessed in my early years.

Tom and Annette as teenagers in Budapest

As you well know, Tom and I always believed that our miraculous second chance at life came with a sacred obligation to follow Wallenberg’s example and to do whatever was in our power to fight injustice and protect the vulnerable, as he had. This belief defined our lives and shaped Tom’s passionate human rights work during his nearly 30 years in Congress.

Today, as I prepare to pass a milestone birthday, I take great comfort in knowing that this vital work will continue, even once I am reunited with Tom. His life’s work has become our family’s legacy, and it gives me tremendous peace and satisfaction to know that the Lantos Foundation will carry this legacy forward – particularly at a time when basic human rights and democracy face tremendous threats.

We see it in the erosion of the rule of law in places like Russia and Hong Kong. We see it in the continued persecution of religious minorities across the globe and the alarming rise in antisemitism. We see it in the digital dictatorships that deprive their citizens of their right to information and contact with the world beyond their borders.

As Tom famously said, “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.”

Tom and Annette with their rescue dog Gigi. Over their shoulder is Raoul Wallenberg, the hero who rescued them during the Holocaust

The Lantos Foundation, I can assure you, is not resting. It is pressing forward boldly with work that would undoubtedly make Tom proud, including:

• Supporting efforts to introduce and pass state-level Holocaust education and genocide prevention legislation

• Advocating to strengthen the United States’ foreign policy response to antisemitism, including antisemitism cloaked in anti-Zionism

• Providing grants to support the work of filmmakers, artists and activists on the frontlines to educate, inform and inspire action

• Partnering with leading human rights organizations to call upon the United States government to hold human rights abusers to account through powerful mechanisms such as Magnitsky sanctions

• Raising the alarm about the urgent threat posed by digital dictatorships and the pressing need to open the internet to everyone, everywhere.

Annette with Condoleezza Rice in Budapest

With your continued support, Tom’s legacy will be secure, and the Lantos Foundation will never rest in its mission to safeguard human rights and justice around the world.

With deepest affection and gratitude,

Annette Lantos
Chair Emeritus, Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice