List of Oslo Freedom Forum participants

The following is a list of persons who have attend the Oslo Freedom Forum. The list is categorized first by profession, then by nationality and year.

Activists

Bahrain

• Maryam al-Khawaja (Bahraini rights activist) (2011)

Belarus

• Aliaksandr Bialiatski (Belarusian democracy activist) (2009)

Britain

• Sara Bronfman (Libyan Human Rights Activist) (2009)

Burma

• Zoya Phan (Burmese activist) (2011)

Burundi

• Gilbert Tuhabonye (Burundian genocide survivor) (2010)
• Pierre Claver Mbonimpa (Burundian prison reformer) (2010)

Cambodia

• Somaly Mam (Cambodian author and human rights activist) (2012)

China

• Rebiya Kadeer (President, World Uyghur Congress) (2010)
• Yang Jianli (Chinese dissident) (2011)
• Harry Wu (Chinese dissident) (2009)
• Wan Yanhai (Chinese HIV/AIDS activist) (2011)

Cuba

• Armando Valladares (former Cuban political prisoner) (2010)

Egypt

• Bassem Youssef (Egyptian satirist and television host) (2014)^[1]

• Soraya Bahgat (Egyptian-Finnish women's rights advocate and founder of Tahrir Bodyguard) (2013)^[2]

Finland

• Soraya Bahgat (Egyptian-Finnish women's rights advocate and founder of Tahrir Bodyguard) (2013)^[3]

India

• Vincent Manoharan (Indian Dalit rights advocate) (2011)

Iran

• Marina Nemat (former political prisoner, Iran) (2010, 11)
• Shirin Ebadi (Iranian Nobel Laureate) (2011)

Liberia

• Leymah Gbowee (Liberian activist) (2011)

Malaysia

• Anwar Ibrahim (Leader of the Opposition, Malaysia) (2010)

Mauritania

• Abdel Nasser Ould Yessa (founder, Mauritania’s SOS Slaves) (2011)

North Korea

• Park Sang Hak (North Korean democracy activist) (2009)

Norway

• Magne Ove Varsi (indigenous rights leader) (2009)

Pakistan

• Mukthar Mai (Pakistani women's rights advocate) (2010)

Russia

• Garry Kasparov (Russian chess grandmaster and democracy advocate) (2010, 11)
• Vladimir Bukovsky (former Soviet political prisoner) (2009,10)

Saudi Arabia

• Manal al-Sharif (women's rights activist) (2012)

South Africa

• Busi Kheswa (South African LGBT activist) (2011)

Sudan

• Lubna al-Hussein (Sudanese women's rights advocate) (2010)

Tunisia

• Lina Ben Mhenni (Tunisian activist) (2012)

Turkey

• Leyla Zana (former Turkish political prisoner) (2009)

Uganda

• Kasha Nabagesera (Ugandan rights activist) (2010)

United Arab Emirates

• Iyad el-Baghdadi (human rights activist) (2014)^[4]

United States

• Jody Williams (Nobel laureate) (2011)

Uzbekistan

• Mutabar Tadjibayeva (former Uzbeki political prisoner) (2009)

Vietnam

• Vo Van Ai (Vietnamese human rights activist) (2009)

Zimbabwe

• Jestina Mukoko (Zimbabwean human rights activist) (2012)

Ambassadors

Afghanistan

• H.E. Manizha Bakhtari (Afghan Ambassador to Norway) (2010)

Athletes

Norway

• Peder Lunde (Norwegian Olympic medallist) (2009)

Film, TV and Radio

Britain

• Philippa Thomas (BBC anchor) (2011)

China

• Hui Siu Fun (producer, Hong Kong’s Pearl and Jade TV) (2011)

Denmark

• Torstein Nybo (co-producer, Burma VJ) (2010)

Israel

• Dana Weiss (anchor, Israel’s Channel 2 News) (2011)

The Republic of Malawi

• Violet Banda (Malawian youth radio host) (2011)

United States

• Amber Lyon (CNN correspondent) (2011)

Internet/Computers

Australia

• Julian Assange (founder, WikiLeaks) (2010)

Colombia

• Victor Diusaba (online director, Colombia’s El Semana) (2011)

Egypt

• Wael Ghonim (Egyptian internet activist) (2011)

Germany

• Peter Thiel (co-founder, PayPal) (2010)
• Daniel Domscheit-Berg (founder, Openleaks) (2011)

Sudan

• Amir Ahmad Nasr (Sudanese blogger) (2011)
• Erik Hersman (co-founder, Ushahidi software) (2011)

Tunisia

• Lina Ben Mhenni (Tunisian blogger)(2011)

United Arab Emirates

• Iyad El-Baghdadi (Palestinian Emirati internet commentator)(2013)

United States

• Jimmy Wales (founder, Wikipedia; via video) (2010,11)
• Ebele Okobi-Harris (director of business and human rights, Yahoo) (2011)

Lawyers

Argentina

• Victoria Villarruel (Argentinian lawyer)(2011)

Chechnya

• Lidia Yusupova (Chechen lawyer)(2010)

Pakistan

• Asma Jahangir (leading Pakistani lawyer)(2012)

Organizations/Corporations

Belgium

• Andrew Stroehlein (communications director, International Crisis Group)(2011)

Britain

• Benedict Rogers (author and East Asia team leader, Christian Solidarity Worldwide)(2011)

Chad

• Jacqueline Moudeina (head of the Chadian Human Rights Commission)(2009)

Norway

• Arne L. Lynngård (president of the Rafto Foundation)(2009)
• Jan Egeland (director, Human Rights Watch Europe)(2011)
• Jan Erik Helgesen (president, Venice Commission)(2010)
• John Peder Egenaes (secretary general, Amnesty International Norway)(2009)
• Therese Jebsen (executive director, Rafto Foundation)(2010)

Russia

• Mark Belinsky (Digital Democracy)(2010)

United States

• Jack Healey (former Executive Director, Amnesty International)(2009)
• James O’Neill (Thiel Foundation, Clarium Capital)(2011)
• Jared Genser (president, Freedom Now; legal counsel for Liu Xiaobo)(2010, 12)
• Kate Hughes (Women for Women International)(2010)
• Mauro de Lorenzo (VP for Freedom and Free Enterprise, John Templeton Foundation)(2010)
• Paula Schrifer (director of advocacy, Freedom House)(2010)
• Zuhdi Jasser (President and Founder, American Islamic Forum for Democracy)(2010)

Politicians

Afghanistan

• Sima Samar (Chairperson of the AIHRC)(2010)

Belarus

• Alyaksandr Kazulin (Belarusian opposition leader)(2010)

Bolivia

• Victor Hugo Cardenas (former vice-president of Bolivia)(2009)

Canada

• Irwin Cotler (former Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General)(2012)

Chechnya

• Akhmed Zakayev (prime minister in exile, Chechnya)(2011)

Colombia

• Belisario Betancur (former president of Colombia)(2011)
• Clara Rojas (Colombian politician, formerly kidnapped by the FARC)(2010)

Czech Republic

• Václav Havel (former Czech President) (via video)(2009)

Ecuador

• Guadalupe Llori (Ecuadorian politician)(2010)

Estonia

• Mart Laar (former Prime Minister, Estonia)(2010)

France

• Philippe Douste-Blazy (former foreign minister of France)(2011)

Latvia

• Vytautas Landsbergis (former Latvian President)(2009)

Liberia

• Samuel Kofi Woods (Minister of Public Works, Liberia)(2010)

Norway

• Fabian Stang (mayor, City of Oslo)(2011)
• Kjell Magne Bondevik (former Norwegian Prime Minister)(2009,10)
• Kristin Clemet (former education minister)(2009,10)

Peru

• Alejandro Toledo (former president of Peru)(2011)

Poland

• Lech Walesa (former Polish president; Nobel Laureate)(2010)

Romania

• Emil Constantinescu (former president of Romania)(2009,10,11)

Singapore

• Chee Soon Juan (Singapore Democratic Party leader)(2012)

South Africa

• Andrew Feinstein (former South African politician)(2012)

Sweden

• Birgitta Ohlsson (Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs)(2010,11)

Venezuela

• Leopoldo Lopez (opposition leader, Venezuela)(2010)
• Ramón José Velásquez (former Venezuelan president) (via video)(2009)

Royalty

Britain

• Sarah, Duchess of York(2009)

Religious figures

Tibet

• Palden Gyatso (former Buddhist prisoner of conscience)(2009)

Vietnam

• Thich Quang Do (Vietnamese religious leader)(via video)(2010)

Scholars

Cambodia

• Sophal Ear (scholar of the Cambodian genocide)(2010)

Denmark

• Jacob Mchangama (Danish scholar)(2011)

Ghana

• George Ayittey (Ghanaian economist)(2011)

Palestine

• Izzeldin Abuelaish (Palestinian doctor)(2011)

Peru

• Hernando de Soto (Peruvian economist)(via video)(2010)

United States

• Mona Eltahawy (Egyptian-American analyst)(2011)
• James Fallon (neuroscientist)(2011)
• Steven Levitsky (Harvard political scientist)(2011)

United Nations

Norway

• Kai Eide (U.N. Special Representative to Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA)(2010)

United States

• L. Craig Johnstone (Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations)(2009,11)

Venezuela

• Diego Arria (former President of the U.N. Security Council)(2010)

Writers

Argentina

• Uki Goñi (Argentinian journalist)(2011)

Austria

• Michael Fleichhacker (editor, Austria’s Die Presse)(2011)

Belarus

• Zhanna Litvina (Belarusian journalist)(2011)

Brazil

• Fernão Lara Mesquita (Brazilian journalist)(2011)

Britain

• Justine Hardy (British journalist and mental health expert)(2011)
• Nick Cohen (British journalist and author)(2012)

Burundi

• Gilbert Tuhabonye (Burundian author, athlete, and genocide survivor)(2011)

China

• Jung Chang (author, Wild Swans)(2009)

Cuba

• Yoani Sanchez (Cuban blogger) (via video)(2010)

Egypt

• Mona Eltahawy (award-winning Egyptian journalist)(2010)

Germany

• Siegmar Faust (German author)(2010)

Jamaica

• Thomas Glave (Jamaican author, professor, activist)(2011)

Libya

• Ghazi Gheblawi (Libyan writer)(2011)

Morocco

• Ahmed Benchemsi (Moroccan journalist)(2011,12)

North Korea

• Kang Chol-hwan (author, Aquariums of Pyongyang)(2010)

Norway

• Åsne Seierstad (author, The Bookseller of Kabul)(2010)
• Knut Olav Amas (political editor, Norway’s Aftenposten)(2011)
• Hanne Skartveit (political editor, Norway’s Verdens Gang)(2011)

Republic of Azerbaijan

• Malahat Nasibova (Azeri journalist)(2011)

Russia

• Grigory Shvedov (Russian journalist)(2011)

Romania

• Elie Wiesel (author, Night) (via video)(2009)

Spain

• Maria Antonia Sánchez-Vallejo (foreign editor, Spain’s El Pais)(2011)

Sweden

• Claes Arvidsson (foreign editor, Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet)(2011)

United States

• Barbara Demick (author, journalist, and North Korean expert)(2011)
• Benjamin Skinner (author, A Crime So Monstrous)(2010)
• Claudia Rosett (columnist, Forbes magazine)(2010)
• David Andelman (editor, World Policy Journal)(2011)
• Greg Mortenson (co-author, Three Cups of Tea)(2009)
• Jackson Diehl (deputy editorial page editor, Washington Post)(2011)
• James Traub (contributing writer, The NYT Magazine)(2010)
• Jay Nordlinger (senior editor, National Review)(2011)
• Jamie Kirchick (writer-at-large, Radio Free Europe)(2011)
• John Fund (columnist, Wall Street Journal)(2011)
• Michael C. Moynihan (senior editor, Reason magazine)(2010)
• Paul Steiger (chairman, Committee to Protect Journalists)(2011)
• Reihan Salam (columnist, Daily Beast)(2011)

Venezuela

• Marcel Granier (Venezuelan journalist)(2010)

Yemen

• Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani (Yemeni journalist)(2010)

References

External links

• Official site
• OsloFreedomForum's Channel on YouTube