Press advisory
17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy begins on February 18, 2025:
Cuban shot twice by government agents during the 11J protests will speak.
Contacts: John Suarez (612)-367-6845 and Janisset Rivero (786)-208-6056
Center for a Free Cuba. Washington DC, January 7, 2025. Osiris Puerto Terry, a victim of brutality by the Cuban regime, who was shot twice during the 11J protests in 2021, will be addressing the Geneva Summit for Human Rights tomorrow February 18, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland..
“We are honored to partner in the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy alongside other leading human rights NGOs”, said John Suarez, executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba..
On the occasion of the 58th main annual session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy assembles hundreds of courageous dissidents and human rights defenders, diplomats, journalists and student leaders to shine a spotlight on urgent human rights situations that require global attention.
Watch the Conference Announcement video here.
- Date: 18 February 2025
- Location: Geneva
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You can expect news on the world’s worst human rights abusers, updates from our courageous speakers, and the very latest on upcoming Summits and campaigns.
Our voice is louder when we speak as one!
Speakers:
This year’s speakers’ line-up includes inspiring human rights defenders from Afghanistan to China, Cuba, Russia and Venezuela. The Center for a Free Cuba has advocated for the freedom of many of these individuals over the years.
Among them, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Senior Fellow, and leading Russian pro-democracy activist, imprisoned in April 2022 for speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In August 2024, Kara-Murza was released from prison as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
Osiris Puerto Terry is a victim of brutality by the Cuban regime, shot twice at the 11J protests.
Sebastian Lai, democracy activist and the son of pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, will speak about his father’s unlawful detention and the dire human rights condition in Hong Kong.
Edmundo González is the president-elect of Venezuela. González, who ran as the opposition’s Unitary Platform candidate, is widely-recognized as the rightful winner of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, defeating Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela faced a political crisis when Maduro refused to acknowledge the actual vote count and declared victory.
The complete program features defenders of human rights causes in Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tibet, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
We are honored to work in common cause with this global community of colleagues.