The Observatory

for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

As Communications Officer at the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), I also produce visual and social media content for The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of OMCT and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

Created in 1997, the Observatory supports human rights defenders facing threats, harassment, arbitrary detention and other forms of repression linked to their work. Through urgent interventions, advocacy, documentation and international mobilisation, it helps bring visibility to attacks against defenders and organisations working to advance human rights.

One of the Observatory’s flagship initiatives is SOS-Defenders, a database documenting detained human rights defenders worldwide. In 2025, SOS-Defenders documented 444 detained HRDs and contributed to more than 41 releases. These figures reflect the wider impact of the Observatory’s protection work; my contribution focused on communications, visibility and visual storytelling around these issues.

My role

Within OMCT’s contribution to the Observatory, I:

Designed social media carousels and visual assets within the Observatory’s shared visual identity
Translated urgent alerts, advocacy messages and complex human rights information into clear, accessible social media content
Adapted content for digital audiences while maintaining accuracy and institutional consistency
Worked within a joint communications framework involving two international human rights organisations

Selected visual work

The examples below show a selection of carousels I designed for the Observatory’s communications, reflecting different advocacy messages and cases while maintaining a consistent shared visual identity.

Carrousel #1: ethiopia’s human rights defenders

🇪🇹On #HumanRightsDay , we stand with those in Ethiopia who risk everything to defend rights and tell the truth.

#TheObservato ry (@fi dh & OMCT) new report, “The Illusion of Progress”, shows how human rights defenders and journalists are facing arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, killings and exile – despite the promises of post-2018 reforms.

✊🏾 Join us in demanding change: We call on the Ethiopian government to dismantle secret torture facilities, release ALL human rights defenders arbitrarily detained, and ensure accountability.

🔗 Read the report: Link in bio.

Carrousel #2: georgia civic space under sieg2

🇬🇪 Georgia is experiencing one of the fastest declines in civic freedoms in Europe. Our new Observatory report, "Under Siege: How Georgia Is Dismantling Civil Society," shows how repressive laws, smear campaigns and intimidation are shrinking civic space and cutting communities off from vital services.

“Georgia’s government has built a machinery designed to stifle every independent voice,” says Isabel Rosales, Director of the Human Rights Defenders Programme at OMCT. 💬

Without urgent support and international attention, Georgia’s independent civil society risks irreversible damage.

Carrousel #3: censorship by detention

❌ Censorship by detention is becoming one of the biggest threats against human rights. Worldwide.

When human rights defenders are detained, fear spreads beyond the prison walls. It affects their families, organisations, and even entire communities.

Together, we can challenge arbitrary detention. ✊🏾

📖 Read the report “Securing the release of human rights defenders arbitrarily detained” by the OMCT-FIDH partnership, The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.