Oslo Freedom Forum Speakers

Explore more than 15 years of talks, panels, and performances by the world’s top pro-democracy advocates.

2025 Speakers

Ani Chkhikvadze

Georgian independent journalist

Anne Lindboe

Mayor of Oslo

Azza Abo Rebieh

Syrian artist and activist

Dr. Dan Siegel

MD, Co-founder and Director of Education at Mindsight Institute

Enrique Del Risco

Cuban writer and professor

Evgenia Kara-Murza

Project manager at the Free Russia Foundation

Irina Schoulgin-Nyoni

Ambassador for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Kim Yumi

North Korean defector and YouTube content creator

Maria Sarungi Tsehai

Tanzanian human rights activist and journalist

Nyrola Elimä

Uyghur journalist

Parit Wacharasindhu

Thai Opposition Politician

Pavel Durov

CEO and founder of Telegram

Sir William Browder

Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign

Sulaima Ishaq Elkhalifa Sharif

Sudanese women’s rights activist

Venâncio Mondlane

Mozambican democratic opposition leader

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Russian democracy activist

Yulia Navalnaya

Chair of the Human Rights Foundation

Past Speakers

Ani Chkhikvadze

Georgian independent journalist

Anjan Sundaram

War Reporter and author

Anna Kwok

Executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council

Anne Applebaum

American-Polish journalist and historian

Anne Lindboe

Mayor of Oslo

Antonietta Ledezma

Venezuelan human rights activist and daughter of former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma

Antonio Ledezma

Venezuelan opposition leader and former prisoner of conscience

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister

Areej al Sadhan

Activist and sister of jailed Saudi dissident and humanitarian worker Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan

Aric Toler

Former Bellingcat researcher, now an investigative journalist for The New York Times

Ariel Ruiz Urquiola

Cuban environmentalist, biologist, and LGBTQ+ rights activist

Armin Reinartz

German scholar and diplomat

Arthur Holland Michel

Journalist and researcher

Arzina Begum

Child marriage abolitionist

Asma Jahangir

Pakistani human rights lawyer and social activist

Asma Khalifa

Libyan human rights activist

Asmaa al-Ghoul

Lebanese investigative journalist and news host

Audrey Mbugua

Kenyan activist and head of Transgender Education and Advocacy

Audrey Tang

Taiwan’s digital minister

Aung San Suu Kyi

Burmese pro-democracy leader and former prisoner of conscience

Ausama Monajed

Syrian activist and member of the Syrian National Council

Azza Abo Rebieh

Syrian artist and activist

Badiucao

Chinese political artist and activist

Barbara Demick

American journalist

Bassem Youssef

Egyptian satirist, columnist, and talk show host

Bektour Iskender

Kyrgyz journalist and free speech activist

Belisario Betancur

Former Colombian president

Belquis Al Lahabi

Yemeni pro-democracy and women's rights activist

Benjamin Skinner

Founder, Transparentem

Benny Wenda

Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)

Berta Valle

Nicaraguan journalist and pro-democracy activist

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

Learn more about the Oslo Freedom Forum

Meet our dedicated partners and sponsors

Discover our diverse lineup of speakers

Explore 16 years of talks at the Oslo Freedom Forum

Learn more about the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent

Learn more about the Thulani Maseko Justice Prize

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Oslo Freedom Forum Speakers

2025 Speakers

Georgian independent journalist

Mayor of Oslo

Syrian artist and activist

MD, Co-founder and Director of Education at Mindsight Institute

Cuban writer and professor

Project manager at the Free Russia Foundation

Ambassador for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

North Korean defector and YouTube content creator

Tanzanian human rights activist and journalist

Uyghur journalist

Thai Opposition Politician

CEO and founder of Telegram

Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign

Sudanese women’s rights activist

Mozambican democratic opposition leader

Russian democracy activist

Chair of the Human Rights Foundation

Past Speakers

Georgian independent journalist

War Reporter and author

Executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council

American-Polish journalist and historian

Mayor of Oslo

Venezuelan human rights activist and daughter of former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma

Venezuelan opposition leader and former prisoner of conscience

Malaysian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister

Activist and sister of jailed Saudi dissident and humanitarian worker Abdulrahman Al-Sadhan

Former Bellingcat researcher, now an investigative journalist for The New York Times

Cuban environmentalist, biologist, and LGBTQ+ rights activist

German scholar and diplomat

Journalist and researcher

Child marriage abolitionist

Pakistani human rights lawyer and social activist

Libyan human rights activist

Lebanese investigative journalist and news host

Kenyan activist and head of Transgender Education and Advocacy

Taiwan’s digital minister

Burmese pro-democracy leader and former prisoner of conscience

Syrian activist and member of the Syrian National Council

Syrian artist and activist

Chinese political artist and activist

American journalist

Egyptian satirist, columnist, and talk show host

Kyrgyz journalist and free speech activist

Former Colombian president

Yemeni pro-democracy and women's rights activist

Founder, Transparentem

Chairman of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)

Nicaraguan journalist and pro-democracy activist

China reporter at Axios and author

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