Author: Ingvar Kolbjørnsen

Ingvar is a writer.

International Contest for Minority Artists 2026: War and Reconciliation

Geneva, 18 December 2025. On the occasion of minorities day – the anniversary of the adoption in 1992 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities – UN Human Rights (OHCHR) and its partners announce the launch of the fifth edition of the International Contest for Minority Artists (2026).  The 2026 theme of the Contest is War and Reconciliation. Minority artists can play a key role in advancing peace, transitional justice, mutual understanding and reconciliation. Artists document war and conflict by preserving memories, humanizing victims, and challenging official narratives through mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, installations, digital arts, film, music and dance. Their work can evoke empathy, provoke thought, and serve as a powerful form of protest and a tool for healing and shaping public discourse at all stages of conflict, as well as long after the cessation of open hostilities. Artists who self-identify as belonging to a national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minority are invited to submit high-quality electronic images of five works of art related to the 2026 theme of the International Contest for Minority Artists. Women and LGBTQI+ artists belonging to minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. The application form also requests information about the artist or artists submitting, as well as a vision statement explaining links between the artworks submitted and the theme of War and Reconciliation. The application form also requests several affirmations, including consent to be recognized publicly, in the event of a successful application. Consent provided may be withdrawn at any time. Up to eight, non-hierarchical awards total will be made in the following categories: The deadline for submission is 1 March 2026. Applications may be submitted in any of the 6 UN official languages on the following links: العربية | 中文 | Français | English | русский | Español. There is no fee for applying. Any intent to request fees in relation with the application process and the International Contest for Minority Artists should be reported to: ohchr-minorities@un.org. Any threats received in relation to these processes should also be reported there. Winners are selected by an independent jury. Award winners will be announced publicly in November 2026. Full details of criteria for evaluation, rules and other modalities, are available in the Concept Note:  العربية | 中文 | Français | English | русский | Español. Share your voice. Drive change. #MinorityRights #ArtForHumanRights #WarAndReconciliation #MinorityArtists4HumanRights Read more about the contest at ohchr.org.

Free Mohamed Tadjadit

Joint statement demands immediate release of Algerian Hirak poet Mohamed Tadjadit risking a death penalty sentence ahead of November 11 hearing. Ahead of upcoming court dates on 11 and 30 November 2025, 20 leading Algerian, regional and international organisations reiterate their calls on the Algerian authorities to drop all charges and release poet and activist Mohamed Tadjadit and his 12 co-defendants.  Mohamed Tadjadit along with 12 other activists, six of whom are currently detained, two in exile and four who are free pending trial, are facing baseless terrorism-related and “conspiracy against the state” charges punishable by death as the maximum sanction possible. The persecution of Tadjadit is based on his poetry and peaceful activism, making his continued imprisonment a violation of his fundamental rights. His prosecution sends an alarming signal to others who raise their voices for human rights and the rule of law in Algeria. Tadjadit has long faced judicial harassment for his involvement in the Hirak movement that erupted in February 2019 to oppose the 5th term of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Although the President resigned, the protesters continued to demonstrate, calling for political reforms and stronger human rights protections, despite a swift and harsh crackdown by the authorities. The authorities imprisoned Tadjadit at least six times between 2019 and 2025, for his artistic expression and political activism. Judicial authorities are now accusing Tadjadit of terrorism and “conspiracy against the state” on the basis of his political activism expressed through his poetry. After being released under a presidential pardon from a previous period of detention in November 2024, the authorities arrested him again two months later on politically motivated charges. Following an expedited trial hearing, a judge sentenced him to five years in prison, which was later reduced to one year on appeal.   Mohamed Tadjadit has been shortlisted for the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards in recognition of his courageous and creative commitment to civilian rule, human rights, and democratic accountability in Algeria. His continued persecution, as well as the imprisonment of other protesters and prisoners of conscience, is a serious breach of Algeria’s obligations to international human rights law. We will continue to follow developments in these proceedings. Mohamed Tadjadit is a poet and activist and should not be in prison. We call for him to be released and for all charges to be dropped.   Signed by: Index on CensorshipFreemuseJustitia Center for the Legal Protection of Human Rights in AlgeriaRiposte InternationaleCairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)MENA Rights GroupLiberté Algérie Shoaa For Human RightsLa Confédération Syndicale des Forces Productives (COSYFOP)International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) PEN AmericaARC – Artists at Risk ConnectionEuroMed RightsAmnesty InternationalPEN InternationalAdala For All association (AFA)La Fondation pour la promotion des droitsComité des Familles des Disparus en Algérie (CFDA)Comité de Sauvegarde de la Ligue Algérienne des Droits de l’Homme (CS-LADDH)Committee for Justice (CFJ)

A Fragile Victory for Artistic Freedom in Türkiye

Human rights violations against LGBTQ+ individuals are escalating in Türkiye, where Pride Marches and Pride Month events have been banned for more than a decade. A new draft law package expected to be submitted to parliament soon could further increase pressure on the LGBTQ+ community. However, in a rare positive development, a landmark court ruling has reaffirmed the protection of LGBTQ+ rights and the principles of freedom of thought, artistic freedom, and expression. The court has overturned the ban on “Turn and See Back: Revisiting Trans Revolutions in Türkiye,” an exhibition hosted last summer by Depo, one of Istanbul’s leading independent art and culture venues. The exhibition was shut down shortly after opening because “it could provoke reactions from certain groups due to social sensitivities and could cause provocation.”     Organised by the 10th Trans Pride Week Exhibition Collective, the exhibition opened on 26 June 2024, but was banned on 11 July following a notice from the Beyoğlu District Governor’s Office. Authorities also ordered the removal of all related content from the internet and social media platforms. Announcing the court’s decision on social media, the organisers described the ruling as “a sign of hope at a time when intolerance toward LGBTQ+ identities and expressions continues to manifest itself in various forms in Türkiye.” They added: “As the court ruling reminds us, in a country governed by the rule of law and respectful of human rights, the state’s positive obligation is not to restrict the visibility of diverse identities, but to stop those who attack them.” Asena Günal, director of the Anadolu Kültür organisation, which includes Depo, shared her views with Freemuse. While describing the decision as encouraging, she noted that it is not final, as the Beyoğlu District Governor’s Office plans to appeal and may take the case to the Court of Appeals. According to Günal, although administrative courts occasionally issue more liberal rulings, the government’s restrictive stance has become increasingly apparent. Günal also drew attention to the draft 11th Judicial Package, which contains discriminatory provisions directly targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and artists. She warned that pressure on LGBTQ+ visibility and expression is likely to intensify. “Two days after the statement about the exhibition decision, we gathered in Kadıköy to protest the 11th Judicial Package, which directly targets LGBTQ+ existence,” she said. “The police prevented us from reading our press statement or even holding banners. Although I see the lifting of the exhibition ban as an important step, I am not hopeful about the coming period. Everything related to LGBTQ+ visibility is being banned. The new bill even goes beyond visibility, seeking to criminalise existence itself.” Türkiye is moving past the “Year of the Family 2025”, a government-led initiative ostensibly to counter its declining birth rate by promoting traditional family values –  a time when cultural expressions were banned for being seen as threats to traditional values, undermining artistic freedom and other fundamental rights. The new draft law signals that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric could soon be formalised as state policy. In this context, ongoing resistance and the defence of human and artistic rights have become more crucial than ever. By Özlem Altunok, Freemuse Türkiye Researcher

Day of the Dead: Artists Caught Between War and Cartels

The Day of the Dead on 2 November is a tradition observed across Latin America, honouring deceased loved ones and celebrating their lives. This year, Freemuse joins the celebration as an act of resistance and a testament to memory serving artistic freedom.