The Keeper: A Human Rights Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 34: The Re-arrest of Rwandan Opposition Leader Victoire Ingabire Jul 28, 2025

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Episode Notes

Episode 34: The Re-arrest of Rwandan Opposition Leader Victoire Ingabire

On June 17, 2025, Victoire Ingabire was at her home in Kigali, Rwanda, when she received an unusual phone call. She was being summoned by the High Court of Rwanda, and she was required to appear before the court two days later. Victoire was, of course, familiar with the case. It involved supporters of her political party, who were arrested and detained in the days leading up to a celebration of “Ingabire Day,” in honor of Victoire. But over the course of more than three years, Victoire herself had never been called to court for questioning. She answered the summons. She appeared in court. She hoped this would be the end of it. But it was not.

This special episode explores the recent re-arrest of Victoire Ingabire, one of the most prominent dissident voices in Rwanda. It features interviews with her children and legal team, recounting her previous imprisonment by the Rwandan regime and the fear and uncertainty that accompanies this latest arrest.

Rwanda arrests opposition leader Ingabire, her lawyer protests

The Keeper Episode 19: The Real Story of Kagame’s Rwanda

Victoire Ingabire: Opinion pieces in The Guardian

Victoire Inbagire: Opinion pieces in Al Jazeera

Victoire Ingabire with the Polis Project

An Open-Air Prison – Victoire Ingabire on HRF’s Dissidents and Dictators podcast

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist

 Audio editor: Brittany Smith

Music:

A Distant Call · Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz, Tone Seeker

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/whispers-in-the-dark

License code: WBBC6MJARZZFNOYE

Episode 33: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Rachel Miner” Apr 29, 2025

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Episode Notes

Episode 33: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Rachel Miner”

The final episode of this season features a conversation with Rachel Miner, founder and executive director of Bellwether International. Bellwether is a global non-profit taking action to disrupt the cycle of genocide and to create genocide resistant, human rights rights-respecting societies that can live in peace. She is one of the brightest stars of the younger generation that will soon be carrying the torch of international religious freedom. Listening to this wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation, you will likely agree that the movement will be in good hands with women like Rachel leading the way.

Bellwether International

Rachel Miner articles in Deseret News

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist & Celie Hudson

 Audio editors: Brittany Smith & Celie Hudon

Music: Always Hopeful - Silent Partner • Always Hopeful – Silent Partner (No C...

Episode 32: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Michal Cotler Wunsh” Apr 15, 2025

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Episode 32: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Michal Cotler Wunsh”

The fourth episode of this podcast season features a conversation with Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism. She has had an impressive career as a member of the Israeli Knesset, a researcher, policy advisor, advocate and more. Her appointment as Special Envoy came at an unbelievably critical moment – when the brutal attacks of October 7 sparked an unprecedented surge of global antisemitism. This stark reality has made Michal’s powerful, eloquent, brave voice on this topic more important than ever. In this episode, she talks about the shocking antisemitism witnessed in the aftermath of October 7; what companies, universities and governments can do to better combat rising antisemitism; how the legacy of her father Professor Irwin Cotler motivates and inspires here; and what gives her hope, even in these dark times.

Note: The conversation took place in late 2024, so there are developments in the Middle East and elsewhere that have happened in the intervening months but are not covered in this episode.

Bio: Michal Cotler-Wunsh

Michal Cotler-Wunsh on X

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist & Celie Hudson

 Audio editors: Brittany Smith & Celie Hudon

Music: • Always Hopeful – Silent Partner (No C...

Episode 31: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Rushan Abbas Apr 01, 2025

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Episode Notes

Episode 31: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Rushan Abbas

This third episode of our “Women Leading the Way on Freedom of Religion or Belief” season brings you a conversation with Rushan Abbas, one of the most prominent and respected activists for the rights of the Uyghur people. She is founder and executive director of the Campaign for Uyghurs. For decades, she has advocated fearlessly on behalf of Uyghur Muslims – a religious and ethnic minority in China, which has faced brutal repression at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. Numerous western governments have classified it as genocide, with more than 1 million Uyghurs being held in so-called “reeducation camps.” In reality, these are modern-day concentration camps.

Rushan has been pivotal to raising awareness about the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being perpetrated against the Uyghurs. Moreover, she has been critical to many of the most effective efforts to push back against China’s brutal repression. She and her staff at the Campaign for Uyghurs were recognized for their vital work when they were nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

However, the recognition for Rushan’s tremendous contribution to the field of human rights and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) has come with a heavy price. In this episode, Rushan discusses the childhood that shaped her, the American values of freedom and democracy that she embraced when she came to America, and the unjust imprisonment of her sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas.

Rushan Abbas Bio

Campaign for Uyghurs

Rushan Abbas: Profiles in Freedom (Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation)

Chinese Persecution of the Uyghurs (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Gulshan Abbas (Defending Freedoms Project)

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist & Celie Hudson

 Audio editors: Brittany Smith & Celie Hudon

Music: Always Hopeful - Silent Partner • Always Hopeful – Silent Partner (No C...

Episode 30: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Anila Ali Mar 18, 2025

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Episode Notes

Episode 30: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Anila Ali

In this episode, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett speaks with Anila Ali, founder and president of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC). She is a fearless voice countering and condemning extremism, encouraging religious plurality, taking on taboo subjects, and working to build interfaith alliances around the world. This conversation covers the roots of her advocacy, which trace back to her childhood, and the events that set her on a path of advocating for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all.

About Anila

AMMWEC

Standing Firm Against Hate: A Muslim Perspective on Israel and Hamas (Newsweek)

Voices for Humanity: Muslim Women Unite Against Extremism (Combat Antisemitism Movement)

Q&A With Anila Ali: Empowering the Next Generation of Muslim Peace Builders (Religion Unplugged)

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist & Celie Hudson

 Audio editors: Brittany Smith & Celie Hudon

Music: Always Hopeful - Silent Partner • Always Hopeful – Silent Partner (No C...

Episode 29: “Women Leading the Way on FoRB” Season – A Conversation with Ewelina Ochab Feb 04, 2025

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It’s appropriate that we’re releasing the first episode of this season this week, during the fifth annual International Religious Freedom Summit. It’s an incredible gathering of civil society advocates, activists, experts, academics, government leaders, parliamentarians, and more from across the globe – all focused on advancing the fundamental right to freedom of religion, conscience, or belief.

Research shows that when countries protect and advance religious freedom, they tend to be more peaceful, stable, and prosperous. On the flip side, when governments trample on religious freedom, they are almost certain to violate other human rights, as well. With authoritarianism rising around the world, religious freedom is at ever greater risk.

But…there is always hope for a better future. For me, much of that hope is inspired by the amazing women who are leading the movement for greater freedom of religion or belief – or FoRB, as it’s sometimes called in shorthand. These women hail from different backgrounds, different cultures, different faiths, and different perspectives. Yet, they all share an uncommon drive for justice and an unwavering dedication to the conscience rights of all.

We’re kicking off our series of conversations with the women leading the way on FoRB with one of the most brilliant and respected minds in the world of international religious freedom: Dr. Ewelina Ochab. A human rights lawyer, a researcher, an author, an advocate – Ewelina truly does it all. Based in London, but usually traveling to far flung corners of the globe, Ewelina is a programme lawyer with the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, as well as co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response. She has studied and written about some of the most egregious cases of religious persecution in the past decades, as well as about genocide prevention and response. It was an honor to speak with her about what inspired her to focus on human rights and persecuted religious minorities, the places in the world that worry her most, and what keeps her motivated to do this work.

International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit

Dr. Ewelina Ochab

International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute

Dr. Ewelina Ochab on Forbes

Follow Dr. Ewelina Ochab on X

Producers: Brittany Smith, Chelsea Hedquist & Celie Hudson

Audio editors: Brittany Smith & Celie Hudon

Music: Always Hopeful - Silent Partner • Always Hopeful – Silent Partner (No C...

“Women Leading the Way on Freedom of Religion or Belief” Season Trailer Jan 27, 2025

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Coming Soon: “Women Leading the Way on Freedom of Religion or Belief”

Freedom of religion, conscience and belief is a fundamental human right – it’s foundational to so many other rights that form the basis of peaceful, prosperous and free societies. But it is too often overlooked and increasingly under threat around the world. A growing global movement is now shining a spotlight on this human right. Among a diverse coalition of advocates, activists, government leaders, faith leaders, academic experts, civil society groups, and survivors of religious persecution, women are often leading the way. The new season of The Keeper podcast will feature conversations with some of the most compelling and impactful women in the international religious freedom community. These women are setting the tone and pace for a movement that empowers people of all faiths – or none – to advocate on behalf of each other. From moving personal stories to the most concerning situations globally, to lessons learned and priorities for advancing religious freedom everywhere, you won’t want to miss what these remarkable women have to say. Subscribe to The Keeper to make sure you don’t miss a single episode.
Music track: Heroes by Sunova
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
No Copyright Music (Free Download)

Episode 28: Sports & Rights Season – A Conversation with Enes Kanter Freedom Dec 20, 2024

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This will be the fifth and final episode of our Sports & Rights season. Over the course of this series, we've taken an in-depth look at what happens when the worlds of sports and human rights collide. We've brought you conversations with Olympians, activists, journalists, academics, and fans. We've tried to unpack some of the stickiest questions around the intersection of sports and human rights.

This podcast season started just as the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar, and perhaps appropriately it ended just as FIFA announced that Saudia Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. If this tells us anything, it is that the questions we've been grappling with about sports and human rights aren't going away anytime soon.

But, to end the season on a more hopeful and uplifting note, we're bringing you a wonderful conversation "from the vault" – a Q&A with Enes Kanter Freedom, NBA player turned human rights activist. This conversation took place before a live audience at the 2022 Lantos Human Rights Prize ceremony in Washington, DC, when Kanter Freedom was awarded the Prize. He was interviewed by Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with an athlete who gave up everything to stand up for human rights.
Highlights from the 2022 Lantos Human Rights Prize ceremony

Producers: Chelsea Hedquist, Brittany Smith

Audio editor: Brittany Smith

Music: Riorr by Audiorezout

Episode 27: Sports & Rights Season – Who Can Hold the Sports World Accountable? Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Episode Notes

In the last episode of our Sports & Rights season, we dove into the subject of sportswashing and the nefarious use of sports as soft power. At the end of that episode, we posed a few questions: Who plays a role in ensuring that sports aren’t just about profits over power? Who can guarantee that human rights get their due in these huge, lucrative businesses? In this episode, we try to answer those questions by talking to athletes, activists, and experts in sports ethics. We also touch on recent events, such as FIFA accepting Saudia Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup, which underscore just how important the topic of sports and human rights continues to be.

We’ll be back soon with our final episode of this season!

Sport & Rights Alliance

“We did not help build women’s tennis to have it exploited by Saudia Arabia,” Opinion by Chris Evert and Martin Navratilova, The Washington Post

“Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup – a controversial pick,” NPR News

Producers: Chelsea Hedquist, Brittany Smith

Audio editor: Brittany Smith

Music: Riorr by Audiorezout

Episode 26: Sports & Rights Season – Sportswashing Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of our Sports & Rights season, we take an in-depth look at a topic we touched on in the first episode – sportswashing. We speak to journalists, human rights advocates, and academics to help unpack what this term means and why it matters. We also delve into some of the most successful examples of sportswashing, ranging from ancient Egypt right up to the present day. We examine the impact of sportswashing and raise some important questions about who bears responsibility for standing up to the authoritarian regimes that seek to use sports as a form of soft power.

Human Rights Foundation: Celebrities & Dictators

A History of Sports and Dictators (by Karim Zidan, via Human Rights Foundation)
How the NBA got into business with an African dictator (by Mark Fainaru-Wada, via ESPN)

It is time to change how we talk about Saudi sports (by Karim Zidan, via Sports Politika)

Sport & Rights Alliance
Watch:
Sports & Politics | The Struggle for Freedom, Explained (via Human Rights Foundation)

Producers: Chelsea Hedquist, Brittany Smith

Audio editor: Brittany Smith

Music: Riorr by Audiorezout