Eurasia Programs

Freedom House works across the Eurasia region to support human rights defenders and civil society organizations in their quest for resilience and sustainability at the time of the most brutal assault on democracy and human rights values. Through targeted support, technical assistance, and empirical research, Freedom House and its local partners identify ways to galvanize citizens to actively defend and advance their freedoms, make informed choices about their livelihoods, support civic initiatives, and regularly contribute to the well-being and development of their communities and countries. Freedom House directly implements activities and supports partners’ work to bolster public demand for the rule of law and to strengthen civil society engagement in reform and public oversight. Freedom House also implements cross-border initiatives that provide a critical opportunity for civic groups and professionals across the region to learn from each other and jointly develop new approaches to shared challenges. 

Working in concert with its local partners, Freedom House engages decision makers at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Parliament, the UN bodies, and the U.S. Congress to seek international accountability for impunity for rights violations across the Eurasia region.

Belarus

Freedom House’s programmatic work in Belarus aims to support democratic governance, human rights, civil society development, and independent media. Freedom House has been engaged in Belarus for more than a decade through its advocacy, small grant and training programs, targeted assistance, and research and monitoring.

Moldova

Freedom House strengthens democratic development in Moldova, with a focus on promoting the rule of law, improving media freedom, and supporting civil society’s engagement in national reform efforts. We work with local partners, including NGOs, independent media, lawyers, and youth activists, to foster greater public demand for the rule of law and respect for freedom of expression. Freedom House and partners advocate for democratic reform through direct engagement with government and international institutions, public awareness-raising initiatives and grassroots campaigning, high-level policy discussions, policy briefs and special reports, and legal analysis.

Local partners:

• ASIST
• INVENTO
• Lawyers for Human Rights
• Newsmaker
• Cu Sens
• NGO “Prospect”
• Piligrim-Demo
• Sud-Est Junior
• The Center for Investigative Journalism in Moldova
• The Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption
• The Press Council of Moldova
• Ziarul de Garda

Ukraine

Democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in Ukraine are seriously challenged by the grinding military conflict in the country’s east (Donbas), Russia’s occupation and de facto control of Crimea, widespread impunity for human rights abuses, and slow reform in key areas, such as the security and justice sectors. At the same time, the flourishing of civil society, major reforms since the Euromaidan revolution, and a vibrant media demonstrate Ukraine’s promise as an open and pluralistic democracy. As Ukraine struggles with the challenge of building its democracy in the face of significant threats, Freedom House works with an array of partners to mobilize their efforts to resist censorship, advocate in support of human rights and good governance, conduct public oversight over the law-enforcement and security sector, and protect activists and journalists from persecution and violence. Freedom House provides needed support to civic advocates, including LGBT+ people, human-rights defenders, citizen journalists, and religious and ethnic minorities.

Freedom House’s existing initiatives in Ukraine include:

• Expanding Allies for LGBT+ Rights in Ukraine
• Strengthening Champions for Free Expression in Ukraine in a Time of Conflict
• Security Services Under Civic Oversight in Ukraine
• United to Confront Hate-Motivated Violence in Ukraine
• Monitoring Human Rights in Eastern Ukraine During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Follow our activities, announcements, and publications on our Ukrainian-language Facebook page.

Freedom House partners in Ukraine include the following:

• Fulcrum
• Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
• TERGO
• Institute for Mass Information
• ZMINA Human Rights Information Center
• Human Rights Platform
• Expert Center for Human Rights
• Vostok SOS
• Ukrainian Institute for Human Rights
• Center for Civil Liberties
• Truth Hounds
• Free Legal Aid
• Ombudsman
• Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation
• Nash Mir
• Roma Human Rights Protection Center
• The Congress of Ethnic Communities of Ukraine
• Ukraine without Torture