Helsińska Fundacja Praw Człowieka

Description

Helsińska Fundacja Praw Człowieka (the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights) is an independent Polish non-governmental organization based in Warsaw. It describes itself as the oldest and most experienced Polish NGO working on human rights protection, and the largest and most experienced organization of human rights experts in Central and Eastern Europe. It was founded in 1989, preceded by seven years of underground activity, since 1982, by the Helsinki Committee in Poland.

Its mission is to defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It works to ensure that rights guaranteed by international treaties and the Polish Constitution are respected and protected in practice. It operates in Poland, at the level of the European Union, and in the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

The foundation defends people whose fundamental rights have been violated and monitors those in power. It acts as a human rights advocate before parliament, courts and other institutions in Poland and abroad, as well as in the media. It assists other civil society organizations, supports and connects human rights defenders, and defends repressed activists. It remains consistently apolitical and outside party politics.

Its current strategy focuses on the rule of law, the right to a court and fair trial, and freedom of civil society and the media. It also covers equal treatment, the rights of migrants, the right to life and freedom from torture, and human rights in the context of the ecological crisis.

It provides free legal assistance in Polish. It runs a dedicated helpline and email address for Ukrainian citizens in Poland under a UNHCR-supported project, and offers legal advice on migration law.