– By Innocent Fowung
(UK Correspondent)
GENEVA – Under the rallying cry “Unite Against Tyranny, Rise for Freedom,” the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy concluded its main session recently, delivering a stinging rebuke to both global dictatorships and the perceived “moral bankruptcy” of international institutions.
Organised by a coalition of over 30 non-governmental organisations led by United Nations Watch, the summit gathered hundreds of dissidents, former political prisoners, and diplomats at the Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG). The event traditionally takes place on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s main annual session to ensure the voices of victims reach the highest levels of global diplomacy. The Executive Director of United Nations Watch, Hillel Neuer, on behalf of the 30 co-sponsored NGOs, addressed the 18th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
A scathing indictment of inaction
The summit’s most electric moments came from Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad, who accepted the 2026 Courage Award on behalf of “The Heroes of Iran”. In a fiery address, Alinejad condemned the United Nations for what she termed a “sad joke”—pointing to the recent election of Iran as vice-chair of a UN committee despite the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters.
“The same regime that blinded protesters, stormed hospitals, and executed children is still granted the privilege of diplomacy,” Alinejad told the assembly. She invited two women to the stage—one blinded by security forces and another still carrying a bullet in her arm—challenging diplomats directly: “Do not normalize this regime”.
Voices from the Frontlines of Freedom
The 2026 lineup featured a “who’s who” of global resistance:
- Belarus: Keynote speaker, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President-elect in exile, urged the world not to “normalize” the Lukashenko regime and reminded the audience that “a free Belarus means a safer Ukraine”.
- Afghanistan: Taekwondo athlete, Marzieh Hamidi received the International Women’s Rights Award, using her platform to call for the recognition of “gender apartheid” as a crime under international law.
- Hong Kong: Chloe Cheung, the youngest dissident on Beijing’s “wanted” list, spoke of the pain of exile and called for the release of nearly 1,000 political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai.
- Uganda: Opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, delivered a video address from hiding, alleging widespread election rigging and violence by the current administration of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
Diplomatic fallout
The summit’s impact was felt immediately beyond the conference walls. The Geneva Summit Coalition issued an urgent condemnation of threats made by the Zimbabwean government against journalist, Blessed Mhlanga after his testimony at the UN opening session on February 17.
As the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council opened last week, the summit’s organisers hope these testimonies will force a shift from “empty condemnation” to “concrete action” against regimes that continue to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Pic caption: Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer addressing participants