Courage Foundation Expands with New International NGO Based in Belgium
The Courage Foundation is taking its operations to a new level by establishing an international NGO in Belgium under the name Courage International. This important expansion reflects the growing scope of Courage’s mission in the defence of press freedom, whistleblower protections, and privacy rights in an increasingly complex global environment.
The development is spearheaded by the appointment of Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, an accomplished human rights lawyer and former Pirate Party Member of Parliament in Iceland, as Global Director of Courage. Ævarsdóttir is currently leading the legal process of incorporating the new Belgian entity and shaping a refreshed vision for Courage’s work.
Courage International is an international non-governmental association dedicated to defending the free flow of information, freedom of expression, press freedom, and the right to privacy—cornerstones of democratic societies. We protect and strengthen these rights through public awareness, legal defence, and advocacy at both global and local levels, working with governments, parliaments, international institutions, and civil society.
We provide support to journalists, whistleblowers, technologists, and other truth tellers who face persecution for exposing abuses of public interest. This includes legal, financial, and campaign support for individuals targeted for their work or for developing tools that advance privacy, transparency, and digital freedom.
Ævarsdóttir brings to Courage a distinguished record of advocacy in international human rights forums. During her tenure as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), she served as rapporteur for the 2024 report “The detention and conviction of Julian Assange and their chilling effects on human rights” (PACE Doc. 16040). The report led to a PACE resolution that formally recognised Julian Assange as a political prisoner during his incarceration in Belmarsh Prison, and called on European governments to uphold protections for journalists and whistleblowers while warning of the dangerous chilling effect of such prosecutions on freedom of information.
In addition, Ævarsdóttir chaired the PACE Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee (AS/JUR) and has been widely recognised for her leadership on anti-corruption, transparency, and privacy rights.
Reflecting on her new role, Sunna Ævarsdóttir said:
“It is a great honour to take Courage into its next stage as an international organisation. Over the past decade, Courage has built an extraordinary legacy—supporting truth-tellers like Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Daniel Hale, and so many others when few others dared to act. As we face new and evolving threats to free expression, privacy, and press freedom, I am excited to build on this foundation and ensure Courage remains a vital resource for those who risk everything to inform the public.”
With this new chapter, Courage International will broaden its focus to meet emerging challenges to the rights of journalists, whistleblowers, technologists, and other defenders of free expression in a rapidly changing world.
