Original op-eds from frontline human rights defenders to provide timely analysis and bold solutions
(BANGKOK, February 24 2026)—Fortify Rights today announced the launch of The Foreword, a new publication series featuring original commentary and analysis from its team of human rights defenders working on the frontlines of some of the world’s most urgent crises.
At a time of rising authoritarianism, deepening repression, and escalating attacks on fundamental freedoms, The Foreword will provide timely, evidence-based perspectives grounded in lived experience. Contributors to the series will include Fortify Rights team members working in Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
“The world needs more truth-tellers, ”said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer and founder at Fortify Rights.“The Foreword will amplify voices from the frontlines—human rights defenders who are documenting abuses, advancing accountability, and refusing to look away. These are not abstract reflections. They are informed, rigorous, and rooted in the realities communities face every day.”
For more than a decade, Fortify Rights has produced in-depth investigative reports, legal analyses, and advocacy briefs to advance accountability for atrocity crimes, protect refugees, and defend human rights defenders at risk. The Foreword builds on that foundation, offering a dedicated space for sharper, more immediate commentary and solution-oriented analysis.
Each piece in The Foreword will reflect the organization’s commitment to accuracy, independence, and moral clarity—paired with practical recommendations to address complex human rights challenges.
The series launches today with three op-eds including one by John Quinley, a Director at Fortify Rights, on the recent elections in Bangladesh, for which he served as an official monitor and another, by Matthew Smith, CEO at Fortify Rights, outlining a unique step France can take to end impunity for mass atrocity crimes in Myanmar.
Fortify Rights invites readers, partners, journalists, and policymakers to engage with the series, share its insights, and help advance rights for all.