WHAT IS #SETTHEMFREE?

About the Campaign

There are hundreds of men and women in the world who are unjustly imprisoned because they chose to challenge oppressive laws and stand for human rights or because they openly advocate for more transparent and accountable governance. They risk their lives in the name of defending and promoting fundamental freedoms and equality for all.

Prisoners of conscience are Individuals who have been jailed because of their political or religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, color, language, national or social origin.

With the #SetThemFree Campaign, the World Movement for Democracy aims to bring awareness to those living behind bars.

Through this campaign, we build international solidarity with political prisoners, mobilize the global public to take actions on their behalf, and engage with various stakeholders to achieve their release.

The political prisoners spotlighted in this campaign are participants in the World Movement for Democracy. We welcome all suggestions, contributions, and feedback for additional political prisoners to be featured in the campaign.

About Us

The World Movement for Democracy is a global network of activists, practitioners, scholars, policy makers, and funders who work to advance democracy.

Our mission is to connect, inform, and empower citizens around the world to advance democracy.

Participants actively engage in or support struggles to open closed societies, challenge dictatorships, democratize semi-authoritarian systems, consolidate emerging democracies, and reform and invigorate established democracies both old and new.

The World Movement welcomes all those who can contribute to, and benefit from, contacts and communications with counterparts facing similar challenges to democracy and carrying out activities in a wide array of areas of democracy work.

We are led by an international Steering Committee of distinguished democracy practitioners. The World Movement Secretariat is located at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington, DC.

We welcome as participants all networks, groups, and individuals who share the principles and values in our Founding Statement.