S3E2: Defender of the Year 2021: OVD-Info

On 23 September, Civil Rights Defenders named Russian independent human rights and media project OVD-Info, the Defender of the Year for 2021. Just days later, Russian authorities put OVD-Info on a growing list of civil society organisations labelled as "foreign agents". We caught up with co-founder Daniil Beilinson to hear about the general human rights situation in the country, the project's vital contribution to monitoring police brutality and arrests of peaceful protestors, as well as how the newfound label will impact their work going forward.

Om Podcasten

Democracy and the rule of law are coming under growing strain , while those who stand up to abuses of power and human rights violations face intimidations and physical attacks. Governments shamelessly mobilise institutions, state-controlled media, as well as organised right-wing groups, to silence and suppress their struggle for freedom. Against the odds, Human Rights Defenders continue their fight and this podcast series aims to relay their voices to the wider world. From activists to academics, independent journalists and human rights lawyers, we’ll hear about their experiences of defending our fundamental rights from the frontlines. Why they committed their lives to their cause; what have been the main obstacles in their journey; what support should be provided to victims; how to effectively monitor and communicate violations, as well as a general outlook on the human rights situation in their region, are some of the many topics we will cover with guests.