JUSTICE WALL 2025 IN LONDON: A CALL FOR FREEDOM, ACCOUNTABILITY AND PROOF OF LIFE

London, UK – December 9, 2025 – Human Rights Solidarity (HRS), a UK-based human rights organization, is set to unveil its annual "Justice Wall" installation on International Human Rights Day, Wednesday, December 10, 2025. The 10-meter-long canvas wall will stand prominently on Whitehall, directly opposite 10 Downing Street, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., serving as a powerful public art initiative to highlight ongoing human rights violations worldwide. HRS is thrilled to announce that the Edelstam Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR), Global Liberty Alliance, Eritrea Focus and Hostage Aid Worldwide are joining in support of this year's event, amplifying the call for justice through their expertise and shared advocacy.

This year's Justice Wall builds on the success of previous events, including last year's installation at the same iconic location, an unveiling at The Guardian Headquarters in May 2025, and an earlier appearance at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in October 2024. It also draws from the partners' shared history of joint advocacy, such as recent statements calling for the release of Dawit Isaak and supporting his family's demands for proof of life and immediate action. The upper section of the wall will feature original artwork by an independent artist, depicting emblematic individuals and symbolic themes that represent widespread injustices. Each illustration symbolizes not just personal stories but the suffering of thousands or even hundreds of thousands facing similar violations. The lower section will remain blank, inviting passers-by to write their own messages of solidarity, justice, and hope, transforming the installation into a collective call for change.

Among the featured cases are those of Swedish-Iranian academic Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali Swedish-Eritrean journalist Mr. Dawit Isaak, and Swedish-Chinese publisher Mr. Gui Minhai, whose names and stories will be prominently illustrated on the wall to draw urgent attention to their plights.

Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, a disaster medicine expert and researcher affiliated with Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, has been detained in Iran since 2016 on espionage charges widely regarded as fabricated. Sentenced to death in 2017, he has endured enforced disappearance, torture, and repeated threats of execution. Recent updates indicate he was moved from Evin Prison three months ago, with his first contact with family occurring only recently, confirming his return to Evin after stints in other facilities, including a military detention center and an unknown apartment. He continues to endure extreme physical and emotional stress, and reports indicate that his health remains critical. Swedish Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, has advocated for his release, but Dr. Djalali remains at imminent risk, symbolizing the broader persecution of academics and dual nationals in Iran.

Mr. Dawit Isaak, now 61, was arrested in Eritrea in 2001 at age 36 during a crackdown on independent journalism. He has been held incommunicado for over 24 years without charge, trial, or access to family, legal counsel, or consular assistance making him one of the world's longest-imprisoned journalists. Eritrean authorities detained Isaak alongside nine colleagues in a brutal suppression of free speech following the "G15 purge." Despite repeated demands from Sweden – including a recent meeting between Foreign Minister Stenergard and her Eritrean counterpart calling for his humanitarian release and for consular access – there has been no compliance, and more than two months have passed without any result. Mr. Isaak's daughters, Betlehem and Danait, have publicly urged decisive action, with Betlehem stating, "If my father is alive, he must be rescued now." International efforts, including sanctions filings against Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki by organizations like RWCHR, underscore the regime's crimes against humanity.

Mr. Gui Minhai, a Swedish-Chinese publisher and co-founder of the Hong Kong–based publishing house Mighty Current Media, was abducted by Chinese intelligence agents in Thailand in 2015 and later forced to deliver a televised confession under duress. Despite a brief, highly restricted release in 2018, Gui was re-detained by Chinese authorities and in 2020 sentenced to ten years in prison following a secret trial that violated all international due-process standards. His location and health remain unknown, raising grave concerns about his wellbeing. Swedish officials have repeatedly pressed for consular access, but China has refused all requests. During Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard’s October 2025 visit to China – coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Gui’s detention – Beijing again denied access.

The Justice Wall will also showcase other international cases, such as Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, Georgian opposition leader Nika Gvaramia, Tanzanian politician Tundu Lissu, and Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Additional representations from Türkiye include pregnant women detained under harsh conditions, elderly and ill prisoners, and journalists facing long-term imprisonment, alongside symbolic themes like social media restrictions, non-implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments, torture allegations, and enforced disappearances.

"Human Rights Day is a reminder that dignity and freedom are universal, yet millions suffer in silence," said Burak Batuhan Karakus, Executive Director of HRS. "With the Edelstam Foundation, RWCHR, Global Liberty Alliance, Eritrea Focus and Hostage Aid Worldwide joining us in support, we strengthen our message and demand accountability for cases like Ahmadreza Djalali, Dawit Isaak, and Gui Minhai. This installation opposite Downing Street is a platform for global solidarity and action."

The Edelstam Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR), Global Liberty Alliance, Eritrea Focus, and Hostage Aid Worldwide issue the following joint statement: 

“We stand with HRS in this important initiative. Cases like Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, Mr. Dawit Isaak, and Mr. Gui Minhai highlight the urgent need to combat hostage diplomacy, enforced disappearances, and wrongful detentions worldwide – we must act now to bring them home. The recent release of long-term prisoners in Eritrea underscores the need for decisive action, as there is a real possibility that Dawit and other opposition figures detained in 2001 could still be alive. We call upon the Swedish and international community, as well as all human rights advocates, to urgently intensify their efforts by demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Dawit Isaak and his journalist colleagues, and by insisting that Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki provide proof that they are still alive. We further demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Dawit Isaak, Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, and Mr. Gui Minhai so they can finally be reunited with their families in Sweden.”

The event aligns with the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), commemorating its legacy while urging governments to address prisoners of conscience and systemic abuses. HRS, with support from the Edelstam Foundation, the RWCHR, Global Liberty Alliance, Eritrea Focus, and Hostage Aid Worldwide, calls on the public, the media, and policymakers to participate in the installation, write messages on the wall, and advocate for the release of those featured. Media are invited to cover the event, with opportunities for photos, videos, and interviews.