CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 1:00 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) congratulates the establishment of the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation and CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas on her appointment as an Advisory Board member of the foundation. Ms. Abbas serves on the advisory board alongside Iranian women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad, founder of the “Campaign for Hong Kong” Samuel Chu, Co-founder of “Afghan Girls Robotics Team” Roya Mahboob, founder of “Cuba Decide” Rosa María Payá, and Soviet dissident Natan Sharanski.
Axel Springer Freedom Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the media and technology company Axel Springer with the aim of promoting and defending freedom and democracy around the world. The Foundation supports human rights defenders and their organizations through actively publicizing their causes and facilitates networking contacts between them and key decision-makers in the civil society, business, and political spheres.
Antje Schippmann, the Managing Director of Axel Springer Freedom Foundation says “With the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation, we are continuing the tradition of our company founder, who passionately advocated for political prisoners and their families as well as dissidents and their causes. Defending freedom and democracy is not just an empty phrase for us, but the crucial question of our time, and an issue that has increasingly captured the public’s attention. Far too often, the German attitude towards autocrats has been characterized by timidity and faintheartedness where courage and solidarity were needed. Together with our allies, we want to help freedom prevail – against the axis of unfreedom, from Moscow and Tehran to Beijing and Havana.”
CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas says “I applaud the establishment of Axel Springer Freedom Foundation and its dedication to supporting human rights defenders. It is my honor to serve as one of the Advisory Board members, which is not only a recognition of our work as an advocacy organization but also an encouragement to step up our fight for the freedom of Uyghurs. I look forward to working with my fellow human rights defenders to promote democracy worldwide.”
CFU commends the formation of the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation and the appointment of Ms. Abbas as one of the Advisory Board members. We believe that Ms. Abbas’s insight, experience, and dedication to the fight against the CCP’s genocide will be indispensable to the Foundation.
