Annual Report 2023

It seems almost unbelievable that as I am writing this, we are in the eleventh year of a brutal war in Ukraine. It has been over two years since the full-scale invasion of 24 February 2022. This is why the work of the NHC's Documentation and Accountability Hub (DAH) is more important than ever. We need to do all we can to hold those responsible accountable, even if they live in countries where their crimes are being met with impunity or even honoured. DAH makes justice possible. An illustration of the quality of their work is that they were selected in November, among hundreds of projects, to be part of the Paris Peace Forum's Scale-Up Program (SCUP). This will surely amplify DAH's impact.

The 2023 Sakharov Freedom Award further emphasized the importance of documentation work. We awarded the 2023 prize to the Ukrainian organization Truth Hounds. As they say themselves, they are "hunting for the truth, chasing perpetrators and breeding experts." Having started as a small group of activists during the Revolution of Dignity and the following Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, they investigated and documented war crimes. Since then, the group has grown into a highly professional, experienced team of experts of around 30 people, leading in their field of expertise - documenting and investigating human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Ukraine and beyond. They were worthy recipients of the award.

The war in Ukraine has also brought the NHC into new areas of work. The NHC's Sanctions project is the result of excellent cooperation between the political risk analysis company Corisk and its CEO Erlend Bollman Bjørtvedt, Norwegian law firm Wikborg Rein, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. We have been able to show how war-relevant, sanctioned products find their way into Russia via third countries. The report has been presented in the U.S. and European capitals and has received considerable attention. How can we win the war for human rights and democratic values if we continue supplying the arms industry of Russia? We are proud to be part of this vital project.

The NHC is experiencing an enormous increase in media attention. This reflects the need for facts and reliable information in a world of fake news and information bubbles. Over the years, the NHC has developed a unique network of organizations and individuals in the countries in which we work. Our core work with project support has put us in contact with the best experts in the field - the people who understand their countries' challenges best, as they are talking about their home. Thanks to our cooperation with them, we have a knowledge base few others can match, and that is why there is such high factual quality in our statements to governments, policymakers, and media.

I am incredibly proud of the documentation, analysis, and reporting done by the staff of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. I hope there will be a less desperate need for human rights work in the years to come.

Ragnhild Astrup Tschudi
Chairperson of Board