Supporting human rights and democracy around the world is crucial to advancing American values and promoting U.S. security and economic interests. On this International Human Rights Day, the George W. Bush Institute is highlighting five activists and leaders who are making a difference in the fight for democracy and human rights.
Pashtana Durrani
Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan women’s rights and education advocate and the founder of LEARN Afghan, a nongovernmental organization that provides access to education for women and children in Afghanistan through online platforms. Forced into exile due to the Taliban takeover in 2021, she continues to fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan through underground schools, educating hundreds of women and girls despite the significant risk.
Jimmy Lai
Jimmy Lai is the founder of Hong Kong’s popular pro-democracy independent media outlets Apple Daily and Next Digital. Initially arrested in 2020, he has been convicted four times in the last four years on spurious charges such as violating a lease agreement and participating in public demonstrations, including a vigil for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Tutu Alicante
Tutu Alicante is a human rights lawyer from the island of Annobón in Equatorial Guinea. In 1993, his cousin helped organize a peaceful protest at the governor’s house, calling for the government to address human rights abuses and the country’s widespread poverty. In response, Alicante’s family home was burned to the ground and government forces arrested or killed many of the protesters. This led Alicante to form EG Justice, a nonprofit focused on educating and empowering the next generation of democracy advocates.
Supporting human rights and democracy around the world is crucial to advancing American values and promoting U.S. security and economic interests. On this International Human Rights Day, the George W. Bush Institute is highlighting five activists and leaders who are making a difference in the fight for democracy and human rights.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya currently lives in exile, while her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released from prison in June after serving five years of a 20-year sentence. Siarhei was a popular vlogger in Belarus who expressed interest in running for president in the 2020 elections. He was arbitrarily arrested and sentenced before he could register as a candidate, so his wife, Sviatlana, ran instead. Sviatlana is widely recognized as the winner and de-facto leader of Belarus, but the election was subsequently stolen by incumbent Aleksandr Lukashenka. Sviatlana was forced into exile in Lithuania by government authorities and continues to lead the opposition government in exile. In 2023, she was tried in absentia and sentenced to 15 years in prison. She continues to lead the fight for freedom and democracy from Lithuania.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya currently lives in exile, while her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released from prison in June after serving five years of a 20-year sentence. Siarhei was a popular vlogger in Belarus who expressed interest in running for president in the 2020 elections. He was arbitrarily arrested and sentenced before he could register as a candidate, so his wife, Sviatlana, ran instead. Sviatlana is widely recognized as the winner and de-facto leader of Belarus, but the election was subsequently stolen by incumbent Aleksandr Lukashenka. Sviatlana was forced into exile in Lithuania by government authorities and continues to lead the opposition government in exile. In 2023, she was tried in absentia and sentenced to 15 years in prison. She continues to lead the fight for freedom and democracy from Lithuania.
