Norwegian Helsinki Committee

Norwegian Helsinki Committee The NHC has been working to promote human rights since 1977. Support us, support democracy. We are also represented in Central Asia.

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee is a non-governmental organisation working to ensure that human rights are respected in practice. We do this trough monitoring, reporting, teaching and democracy support. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee works in the belief that documentation and activities of organisations such as ours are vital to enable states to protect human rights in their own countries, as w

ell as in others. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee particularly works on countries in Europe, Central Asia and North America. For the past few years our international work has focused on states in the former Soviet Union and the West Balkans. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee was was established in 1977 and today has 25 employees, with a head office in Oslo. The work of the Committee is based on the Helsinki Final Act which was signed by 35 European and North American states at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in 1975. This declaration establishes that human rights are vital to ensure peace and cooperation between states. Code of conduct:
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🇳🇴🏳️‍🌈 17 May is the National Day of Norway, but it's also IDAHOT – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and T...
17/05/2026

🇳🇴🏳️‍🌈 17 May is the National Day of Norway, but it's also IDAHOT – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

❗️Earlier this spring, Coming Out LGBT group was declared ‘extremist’ by Russia’s Supreme Court.

❤️‍🩹 This marked the beginning of a sweeping crackdown: within less than two months, six other LGBTIQ+ organisations were also labeled ‘extremist’.

😔 In 2023, Russia had already tightened its grip on the LGBTIQ+ community by declaring the non-existent “international LGBT movement” an “extremist organisation” and banning its activities.

😳 This effectively created a legal basis to target any LGBTIQ+ organisation or activity as part of an “extremist structure.”

This decision has already led to a significant escalation in the crackdown on LGBTIQ+ people in Russia, including:
🛑 police raids in public spaces
🛑 persecution under so-called “LGBT propaganda” laws
🛑 censorship aimed at erasing LGBTIQ+ people from media and public life

📣 In 2025, Coming Out documented at least 270 instances of pressure against the LGBTIQ+ community.

💪 No crackdown by any government can make LGBTIQ+ people disappear. But it makes both being part of and assisting the community dangerous and difficult.

“Today, it is especially important not to give in to fear and not to remain alone. Our community is stronger than any labels, and history has proven this. Love is stronger than hate.”

🌈🏳️‍⚧️ We stand with Coming Out’s message.

Read our most recent article to find out more – link in the comments💫
07/05/2026

Read our most recent article to find out more – link in the comments💫

💫 Trine Skei Grande is our newly elected president of the council.– It is an honor to serve as president of NHC's counci...
29/04/2026

💫 Trine Skei Grande is our newly elected president of the council.

– It is an honor to serve as president of NHC's council at a time when the fight for democracy and human rights is becoming increasingly important, says Grande💪

❤️ We are thrilled to have Trine on board, says Secretary General, Berit Lindeman. – We are certain her knowledge and experience will benefit us greatly.

❗️Today, the draft Civil Code #15150 passed its first reading in the Ukranian parliament.The law at a glance?🚫 Only opp...
28/04/2026

❗️Today, the draft Civil Code #15150 passed its first reading in the Ukranian parliament.

The law at a glance?
🚫 Only opposite s*x unions are legally recognized
🚫 Same-s*x couples cannot adopt
🚫 No equal reproductive or inheritance rights
🚫 Divorce may require a forced “reconciliation” period if you have children
🚫 Gender transition can automatically invalidate a marriage

📣 This isn’t progress — it’s a rollback of rights.

🇺🇦 One of the country’s most important laws — shaping lives for decades — is being pushed through at speed, with little public attention and no clear input from key institutions.

❗️Even more concerning: it’s being done in the name of European integration, while ignoring core European standards on human rights, equality, and the rule of law.

👎 This law contradicts Ukraine's European Integration Obligations and is a step back on upholding the rights of women and the LGBTIQ+ community in Ukraine, says Olena Shevchenko – head of Insight NGO.

💪 The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, through NORADS Nansen program, is partnering with LGBTIQ+ and Women’s organizations.

🏳️‍🌈 These groups work tirelessly to protect LGBTIQ+ persons and women through war, and to contribute to a free and democratic Ukraine for all its citizens.

📣 NHC call upon Ukraine to amend the law, and ensure that the final version of the Civil Code will be in line with its international human rights obligations.

26/04/2026

40 years since the Chornobyl nuclear accident - why is it still relevant today?

💫 For three decades, Viasna has stood alongside people in their most difficult moments — defending rights, documenting i...
26/04/2026

💫 For three decades, Viasna has stood alongside people in their most difficult moments — defending rights, documenting injustice, and refusing to stay silent.

❤️ Today, we mark the 30th anniversary of The Human Rights Center Viasna - a moment that feels both deeply meaningful and personal for us at NHC.

🎉 This anniversary is also marked by the recent release of all members of Viasna who had been in detention. After years of pressure, advocacy, and resilience, this is a moment that brings not only relief, but real cause for celebration.

✨ Anniversaries are usually about reflection, but this one carries pride, gratitude, and renewed hope. Pride in everything Viasna has achieved over 30 years, gratitude for the strength of those who endured, and hope as we look toward what comes next.

21/04/2026

In Crimea, more than 130 Crimean Tatars remain wrongfully imprisoned.

Secretary General of the NHC, Berit Lindeman, has taken godparenthood for Ruslan Suleimanov.

We congratulate Ruslan on his birthday, and demand his immediate release!

🇭🇺 Péter Magyar’s party Tisza won the Hungarian elections by a mile. After 16 years of Orbán, it’s finally time for chan...
13/04/2026

🇭🇺 Péter Magyar’s party Tisza won the Hungarian elections by a mile. After 16 years of Orbán, it’s finally time for change.

💫 Magyar vows to strengthen Hungary’s ties with both NATO and the EU.

🫡 While there are reasons to be joyful, one should also be vigilant.

😮 Magyar is a former Fidesz member himself, and though he is more democratic than Orbán, he is still widely considered to be conservative.

❗️It is crucial that Magyar keeps his promises.

He needs to:
✔ Protect civil society
✔ Reverse the anti-LGBTQI politics promoted by Orban
✔ Battle corruption
✔ Make the judiciary and academia independent again.
✔ Depoliticise and allow independent media

📣 We are happy to see Hungary turn away from Orbán, who deliberately and strategically cracked down on human rights during his 16 years reign.

✨ We wish Péter Magyar good luck, and to stay true to the literal meaning of Tisza; – respect and freedom!

10/04/2026

Csilla explains the jist of the Hungarian elections🤝

📽️: Lasse Thomassen/NHC

❗️Today, 9 April, Russian authorities designated the so-called “International Memorial Movement” — an entity that does n...
09/04/2026

❗️Today, 9 April, Russian authorities designated the so-called “International Memorial Movement” — an entity that does not formally exist — as an extremist organisation.

📣 Memorial is one of Russia’s oldest and most respected networks of human rights organisations. Founded in the late Soviet period, it has documented political repression and preserved the memory of victims of state terror. Its work has been vital in uncovering Soviet-era crimes, including investigations at sites such as Sandarmokh, where thousands of victims of Stalin’s purges are buried.

💫 In recognition of its decades-long commitment to human rights and historical truth, Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

💔 The move to label Memorial as extremist also fits into a broader pattern in today’s Russia: the revival of Stalin-era narratives, the reinstallation of monuments to Joseph Stalin, the closure of institutions such as the Gulag History Museum, and the removal of memorials dedicated to victims of repression.

📣 Oleg Orlov, a board member of Memorial and a former political prisoner, stated: “This decision violates both international law and Russia’s own legal standards.”

❗️The persecution of Memorial has been ongoing for years following liquidation and it is evident that this court case was designed to enable the prosecution of any Russian citizen who has supported, and continues to support, Memorial’s work.

👉 Read our full statement on nhc.no

🏳️‍🌈 Voices are being silenced in and LGBTI+ communities are paying the price.The Youth LGBTI+ Association (Genç LGBT...
07/04/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Voices are being silenced in and LGBTI+ communities are paying the price.

The Youth LGBTI+ Association (Genç LGBTİ Derneği İzmir) in İzmir has been a lifeline for young people seeking safety, support, and dignity. Now, it has been dissolved. At the same time, 11 human rights defenders are on trial for simply standing up for their community.

This is not just a legal case. It is about people, lives, and the right to exist without fear. We must not look away.

We call on authorities in Türkiye to:

❗️Drop all charges immediately

❗️Reverse the dissolution of the Young LGBTI+ Association

❗️Protect the right of LGBTI+ organizations to exist and operate freely

And we call on the international community:

❤️ Speak out

❤️ Show solidarity

❤️ Stand with LGBTI+ communities in Türkiye

Because when support networks are dismantled, vulnerability grows.

Because silence enables injustice.

Because solidarity can make a difference.



FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights / Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

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