We are pleased to announce the expansion of the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) network of human rights defenders. Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LCHR) joins Liberties as a full member, while Xnet and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation join as associated partners. All three member applications were approved at the annual general assembly meeting in Berlin.
The Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LCHR) is committed to promoting human rights, combating discrimination, and fostering social integration through advocacy and legal support.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation was established in Malta following the tragic assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. At the core of its mission is the fight against corruption, human rights violations, and vexatious lawsuits such as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Xnet is a Barcelona-based collective of activists and specialists dedicated to advancing digital rights and modernising democracy for the digital age.
“With a presence in 20 countries across the European Union, joining Liberties means becoming part of a committed and diverse network of human rights organisations. At the LCHR, we have felt the gap for some time. With the democratic backsliding in some member states, and restrictions introduced because of various emergencies, cooperation and solidarity among human rights NGOs is needed more than ever”, said LCHR director Anhelita Kamenska.
Strengthening Liberties' network of human rights defenders
“Joining Liberties means we are in a better position to work on rule of law and accountability. We are looking forward to working with Liberties and partners to move our shared European space ever closer to democratic norms,” said The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation COO, Martina Urso.
“We are thrilled to join the Liberties network as Xnet. Being part of this community will allow us to enhance our fight for digital rights, transparency, and democracy across Europe. We are eager to collaborate with Liberties and its members to push forward initiatives that strengthen fundamental rights and civic freedoms in the EU, and to share our expertise in activism on digital rights, strategic litigation, and citizen-led innovation”, said Simon Levi, Xnet coordinator.
“The diverse specialities and expertise of LCHR, The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and Xnet will greatly complement Liberties’ network of human rights defenders and enhance our collective efforts to protect human rights and democracy across the EU”, said Balazs Denes, executive director at Liberties.
Following the accession of all three members, Liberties will have a total of 22 organisations from 20 Member States including Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The Civil Liberties Union for Europe is a Berlin-based civil rights organisation campaigning with member organisations in Brussels and across the EU. Liberties leads the most extensive, independent report on the rule of law in the EU, recently publishing the 2024 Report, in addition to its annual Media Freedom Report. They are also lead campaigners on digital rights issues, including advocating for better rules and/or enforcement of the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, electoral integrity, data privacy, and political advertising.
