IBJ’s Biennial Report 2023-2024
“Dear friends and partners,
Across 2023 and 2024, I witnessed the resolute courage of IBJ lawyers who stand in police sta- tions at midnight and in crowded courtrooms at dawn, bravely defending the bodies and rights of the accused. They see that no person facing the full weight of the state is ever alone. Their everyday acts of courage unfold in a world where headlines show that civil society space is shrinking, economic instability is mounting, and democratic values eroding. At the same time, development aid has reduced even as threats to due process and rule of law expand.
Owing to the commitment of the defenders and actors of the broader justice ecosystem that IBJ builds and fortifies, progress does not stall. It multiplies.
In Myanmar, even amid deep political upheaval, our defenders stand as resilient pillars of hope, securing justice for more than 3,400 individuals, including nearly 1,000 political detainees. In Burundi, our teams conduct weekly visits to police stations in Bujumbura, documenting rights violations and securing the release of individuals held unlawfully. In Rwanda, IBJ’s community-led rights awareness campaigns have reached more than 2 million people, equipping them with tools and knowledge to claim their legal rights.
IBJ’s commitment to early legal intervention transforms lives. Because of our work, individuals receive competent legal counsel within hours of arrest – protecting them from abuse, torture, and the irreversible harm of delayed justice. And IBJ embraces the day-to-day charge of training and equipping lawyers, police officers, and justice officials to defend rights and strengthen justice systems from within.
These past two years have brought extraordinary gifts to be present alongside our defenders on the frontlines. In Indonesia, I found hope in Jakarta, Batam, Makassar, and Kupang, where we conducted trainings for heroic women lawyers who are defending criminalized women in detention centers and prisons, many of whom are also survivors of gender-based violence. In Kigali, I was honored to deliver the opening words for our Advancing Human Rights in Rwanda project, funded by the European Union. IBJ Rwanda brought together prosecutors, police, corrections leaders, and civil society to align on due process and strengthen justice protections. Moreover, in Gaziantep, Türkiye, I came together with a group of gutsy IBJ lawyers who had crossed the border from Syria to join us. Together, we discussed the future of Syria’s legal system and the escalating challenges in the northwest. Despite such immense hardship, these defenders remain undaunted, carrying our methods and tools back into Syria to uphold rights in one of the world’s most difficult environments.
IBJ has also continues to lead with innovation. Our JusticeHub tools and mobile apps are connecting people to counsel at the earliest possible stage, while our training and Communities of Practice are equipping defenders and players in the broader justice ecosystem to exclude forced confessions, challenge illegal evidence, and improve bail practice. This is IBJ’s practical, inside-the-system approach: the way torture ends and fairness becomes the de- fault.
IBJ continues to carry its message to global tables. We hosted interfaith gatherings and dialogues on creative courage, pathways to peace, and faith in action. Time and again, I was reminded that IBJ’s work is not only justice work but also cooperative work. Bridges between sectors, traditions, and nations are the infrastructure of human dignity, and IBJ has been forging these for 25 years.
None of this would be possible without the tireless dedication of IBJ’s defenders and the firm support of our donors, partners, and volunteers. Your belief in our mission sustains our momentum and magnifies our impact. Together, we strengthen networks, transform justice systems, and bring hope and illumination to every corner of the globe.
If there is one overarching lesson of these two years, it is this: the antidote to despair is justice design. At IBJ, when we design early access to counsel, rights-respecting procedures, and defender communities that learn and lead together, we do not just win cases. We amplify access to justice, bringing outcomes at scale.
As IBJ enters its next quarter century, I remain steadfast in my commitment to build a world where justice is not a privilege for the few, but a right guaranteed to all. With every IBJ defender trained, every individual whose freedom we help restore by ensuring access to a lawyer, and every policy we advance, we move closer to that vision. And let’s not stop until it is fully realized.
Thank you for building this with me. Thank you for believing, with clear eyes and steady hearts, that, ending torture and ensuring fair trials is not only necessary, together it is possible.”
With hope and resolve,
Reverend Karen Tse
Founder and CEO International Bridges to Justice