PHRD (Protect Human Rights Defenders) engages EU institutions directly to ensure human rights defenders' cases are heard where decisions are made — from Magnitsky sanctions to asylum frameworks and rule-of-law conditionality.
Why the EU
The European Union offers tools no other international body can match for protecting human rights defenders: targeted sanctions, rule-of-law conditionality, asylum frameworks, and a parliament with a strong human rights mandate.
PHRD's founding purpose is to be that civil society voice in Brussels — bringing evidence-based cases and systemic recommendations to the institutions best placed to act on them.
Policy priorities
Six interconnected priorities, each addressing a structural gap in how Europe protects human rights defenders.
Broader and more consistent use of targeted sanctions against perpetrators of transnational repression — including digital surveillance firms and corporate enablers.
EU asylum guidelines explicitly recognising human rights work as grounds for protection, accounting for the evidentiary challenges defenders face.
Robust, enforceable civil society provisions in EU association agreements, trade deals, and funding instruments — with independent monitoring.
An EU-wide framework to identify, document, and respond to cases of transnational repression occurring on EU soil.
A dedicated EU mechanism providing fast-track visas, emergency funding, and coordinated protection across member states for defenders at acute risk.
Contributing to EU institutional reform debates — advocating for deeper integration of human rights standards as the EU expands and evolves.
PHRD (Protect Human Rights Defenders) opposes the proposed CSA Regulation ("Chat Control") and any EU measure requiring client-side scanning or encryption backdoors. Weakening end-to-end encryption directly endangers human rights defenders and their sources. We advocate for encryption as internet infrastructure and a fundamental rights protection tool — non-negotiable regardless of justification.
Where we engage
PHRD matches its advocacy strategy to the mandate and decision-making power of each institution.
Privacy & Encryption
For human rights defenders, privacy is not a convenience — it is survival infrastructure. Surveillance, device seizure, and communications interception are among the most common tools of repression. End-to-end encryption is often the only protection defenders have.
PHRD (Protect Human Rights Defenders) advocates for the universal adoption of post-quantum Signal Protocol encryption as a core component of internet infrastructure — and as an essential human rights protection tool that must be defended at the EU legislative level.
We oppose any technical or legislative measure that would weaken, backdoor, or circumvent end-to-end encryption — under any justification, including child safety. The protection of children and the protection of encryption are not in conflict — secure communications protect vulnerable people, including children.
PHRD Position: Chat Control
The proposed EU CSA Regulation ("Chat Control") would require mandatory client-side scanning of all encrypted communications. PHRD (Protect Human Rights Defenders) unequivocally opposes this proposal.
"You cannot have a backdoor that only the good guys can use."
PHRD Advocates For
Universal adoption of Signal Protocol (post-quantum) · End-to-end encryption as EU-protected infrastructure · Rejection of all client-side scanning mandates · Strong encryption as a prerequisite for civil society space
Accountability
PHRD is committed to full transparency in its EU advocacy activities and is actively working toward registration in the EU Transparency Register — the joint Parliament–Commission register requiring civil society organisations to disclose their objectives, funding, and activities.
Registration establishes the legitimate and accountable basis on which we engage EU institutions on behalf of human rights defenders.
Work with us
Are you an MEP, EU official, researcher, or partner organisation? We welcome collaboration and joint advocacy on issues affecting human rights defenders.