Artistic Freedom Initiative

Artistic Freedom Initiative Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) facilitates pro-bono legal services & resettlement for artists.

08/27/2026

🎶
Music was silenced in Afghanistan. On 8 September, the Aseman ensemble brings it back to the stage.

An evening where a rubab, a violin, a guitar and a voice carry a whole culture across borders. Afghan and Japanese musicians, at Victoria Hall, turning memory and hope into sound.

📍 8 September | Victoria Hall, Geneva
🎟️ Free entry. Reserve your seat at the link in bio.

08/26/2026

“Preserving culture means preserving identity.”

Fazel Hashimi rebuilt his path in cultural preservation, the field he had to leave behind.

Part of our series Afghan Voices, Safely Resettled.

🎥 Learn more about this case at the link in our bio.

08/24/2026

Iranian singer Hiwa Seyfizade has recently been sentenced to four years in prison following her arrest during a February 2025 concert in Tehran.

As her case moves before the court, Hiwa has publicly called for her rights to be upheld. Alongside her lawyer, she has vowed to continue challenging the sentence.

✊ Artists should not face imprisonment for their creative expression. AFI stands in solidarity with Hiwa and with artists in Iran who continue to create despite censorship, criminalization, and repression.

This summer, Afghan singer and Rubab player ‌ ‌ ثریا performed at Belfast’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Next week, her j...
08/21/2026

This summer, Afghan singer and Rubab player ‌ ‌ ثریا performed at Belfast’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Next week, her journey continues at the European Forum Alpbach 2026.

As Partner of the European Forum Alpbach 2026, AFI-ILA is proud to see Soraya join as Artist in Residence, from 24 August to 4 September, taking part in a programme of seminars, conversations and performances.

Just weeks after Belfast, her presence there reflects the continuity of our work: accompanying artists at risk, from one stage to the next.

Read Soraya’s story at the link in our bio.

In partnership with European Forum Alpbach (EFA)

08/20/2026

Afghan music, live in Geneva. 🎶

Meet the five musicians behind Aseman: artists from Afghanistan and Japan giving Afghan music back its voice, the music of the one country where it has been silenced.

Founded by singer and composer Arash Barez, the ensemble unites Kengo Saito (rubab), Mojtaba Habibi (co-founder of Kabul Dreams), Alia Païenda (violin) and Abi Rezai (guitar).

📍 8 September · Victoria Hall, Geneva
Free entry. Reserve your seat at the link in bio.

08/19/2026

Fazel Hashimi was an archivist who preserved historical documents and cultural records that reflect the identity and memory of Afghan people, before conditions in Afghanistan made it unsafe for him to stay and continue his work.

Part of our series Afghan Voices, Safely Resettled.

🎥 Learn more about this case at the link in our bio.

AFI Artist Advisory Board member Pedro X. Molina has won the 2026 Reuben Divisional Award for Best Editorial Cartoons. C...
08/18/2026

AFI Artist Advisory Board member Pedro X. Molina has won the 2026 Reuben Divisional Award for Best Editorial Cartoons. Congratulations, Pedro!

Internationally acclaimed editorial cartoonist Pxmolina uses the power of visual storytelling to challenge authoritarianism and defend freedom of expression.

As a member of AFI's Artist Advisory Board, Pedro helps advance our mission to protect artistic freedom and champion the rights of at-risk artists worldwide. We're grateful for his artistic vision, advocacy, and commitment to freedom of expression.

We're proud to see AFI Senior Attorney Zelo Safi featured by NPR, shedding light on the growing challenges international...
08/17/2026

We're proud to see AFI Senior Attorney Zelo Safi featured by NPR, shedding light on the growing challenges international artists face when seeking U.S. visas. As Zelo explains, increasing processing times, rising costs, and shifting immigration policies are making it harder than ever for artists to perform, exhibit, and connect with audiences across borders.

At AFI, we work every day to help artists navigate these barriers because artistic freedom depends not only on the freedom to create, but also on the freedom to share that work with the world. We're grateful to Zelo for her unwavering commitment to at-risk artists, advocating for their right to safety, mobility, and the freedom to continue creating across borders.

🔗 Read the full article, link below.
https://shorturl.at/XOHmz

An evening of Afghan music, live at Victoria Hall, Geneva. 🎶On 8 September, Aseman (“sky” in Persian) brings Afghan musi...
08/13/2026

An evening of Afghan music, live at Victoria Hall, Geneva. 🎶

On 8 September, Aseman (“sky” in Persian) brings Afghan music back to an international stage. An ensemble of Afghan and Japanese musicians performing resilience, memory and hope.

Join us to celebrate art that resists, and hope that blooms.✨

👉 More information: https://afi-ila.ch/events/aseman-ensemble/
🎟️ Free entry, reserve your seat: https://billetterie-culture.geneve.ch/selection/event/date?productId=10229301208802

08/12/2026

Michael Mai, lawyer at AFI-ILA, reflects on the case of Afghanistan’s film archivists: a process that took time, patience, and a genuine team effort to bring three families to safety, among them the family of Fazel Hashimi.

Part of our series Afghan Voices, Safely Resettled.

🎥 Learn more about this case at the link in our bio.

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