Rebecca Vincent

Vincent began her career with the U.S. Department of State, which she joined in 2005, immediately after completing her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Texas.{{Cite web |title=Human Rights Campaigner {{!}} North Texan |url=https://northtexan.unt.edu/content/human-rights-campaigner |access-date= |website=northtexan.unt.edu}} From 2006 to 2008, Vincent was posted to the US Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, as a political officer covering the democracy and human rights portfolios. Vincent also spent time as a political reporting officer at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York in 2008, covering proceedings of the 63rd General Assembly and the Third (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) Committee.

After leaving the State Department, Vincent completed an MA in Human Rights at the University College London. She then worked with Article 19 as the coordinator of the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, a coalition of 20 international organisations which came together in 2010 to join their efforts to promote and protect freedom of expression and media development in Azerbaijan.{{Cite web |date=22 June 2011 |title=Advocating for Media Freedom in Azerbaijan |url=https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/advocating-media-freedom-azerbaijan |access-date= |website=www.opensocietyfoundations.org |language=en}}

In 2012, the Azerbaijani Government banned Vincent from the country after she helped launch the Art for Democracy campaign, which sought to use all forms of artistic expression to promote democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan. Campaign staff and supporters were subjected to a number of forms of pressure by the Azerbaijani authorities following the revocation of Vincent's residence permit.{{cite news |date=13 March 2013 |title=Art for Democracy Campaign under Attack in Azerbaijan |newspaper=Civic Solidarity Platform |location= |url=https://www.civicsolidarity.org/article/617/art-democracy-campaign-under-attack-azerbaijan |access-date=}}{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=Rebecca |date=6 March 2013 |title=As international scrutiny fades, Azerbaijan scrambles to silence critics |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2013/3/6/as-international-scrutiny-fades-azerbaijan-scrambles-to-silence-critics |access-date= |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}

After her expulsion from the country, Vincent continued to work on human rights issues in Azerbaijan, building up campaigns for the releases of jailed human rights defenders and journalists in the country, including Rasul Jafarov and Khadija Ismayilova.{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=Rebecca |date=5 January 2016 |title=The ghosts of Baku {{!}} Little Atoms |url=http://littleatoms.com/ghosts-baku |access-date= |website=littleatoms.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=Rebecca |title=Meet Amal Clooney's latest client {{!}} Little Atoms |url=http://littleatoms.com/meet-amal-clooneys-latest-client |access-date= |website=littleatoms.com |language=en}} Vincent coordinated the Sport for Rights campaign, which worked to raise awareness of the human rights situation in Azerbaijan around the Baku 2015 European Games{{Cite web |last=Christie |first=Caroline |date=15 June 2015 |title=Human Rights Abuses and the European Games in Azerbaijan |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/human-rights-abuses-and-the-european-games-in-azerbaijan/ |access-date= |website=Vice |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=Rebecca |date=21 June 2016 |title=Pharrell's Call for Freedom in Azerbaijan Gives Comfort to the Oppressed |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rebecca-vincent/pharrells-call-for-freedo_b_10592390.html |access-date= |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}} and the 2016 Formula One Grand Prix.{{Cite news |last=Weaver |first=Paul |date=7 June 2016 |title=F1 urged to speak out on human rights situation in Azerbaijan |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jun/07/f1-urged-to-speak-out-on-human-rights-situation-in-azerbaijan |access-date= |issn=0261-3077}} Vincent organised a series of 40 parallel protests to mark Khadija Ismayilova's 40th birthday shortly before Ismayilova's release from prison in May 2016.{{Cite web |date=31 March 2016 |title=27 May: 40 protests for Khadija Ismayilova's 40th birthday {{!}} Index on Censorship |url=https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2016/03/27-may-40-protests-khadija-ismayilovas-40th-birthday/ |access-date= |website=www.indexoncensorship.org}}

In 2016, Vincent joined Reporters Without Borders to open and run its London bureau.{{Cite web|date=2016-09-27|title=RSF Appoints Rebecca Vincent Director of its New London Bureau {{!}} Reporters without borders|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/rsf-appoints-rebecca-vincent-director-its-new-london-bureau|access-date=2021-11-15|website=RSF|language=en}} In June 2020, she was appointed to the new global role of Director of Campaigns.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-09|title=RSF appoints Rebecca Vincent as Director of International Campaigns {{!}} Reporters without borders|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/rsf-appoints-rebecca-vincent-director-international-campaigns|access-date=2021-11-15|website=RSF|language=en}} Vincent led the organisation's campaigning in the cases of Daphne Caruana Galizia,{{Cite web |date=16 October 2019 |title=No rest until justice is served - Rebecca Vincent |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/no-rest-until-justice-is-served-rebecca-vincent.742371 |access-date= |website=Times of Malta |language=en-gb}} Christopher Allen,{{Cite web |date=26 August 2021 |title=Family of journalist killed in South Sudan say governments have failed him, and call for an investigation into his death {{!}} Doughty Street Chambers |url=https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/family-journalist-killed-south-sudan-say-governments-have-failed-him-and-call-investigation |access-date= |website=www.doughtystreet.co.uk |language=en}} Julian Assange,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=4 April 2023 |title=What does the future hold for Julian Assange? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2023/4/4/what-does-the-future-hold-for-julian-assange |access-date= |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}} Jimmy Lai,{{Citation |title=RSF and 116 media leaders from around the world call for the release of Jimmy Lai. | date=16 May 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iJAsV8Q8GI |access-date=2023-05-26 |language=en}} and others. She was a founding member of the steering committee of the Hold the Line Coalition, which was launched to campaign in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines,{{Cite web |date=10 July 2020 |title=#HoldTheLine campaign launched in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines {{!}} RSF |url=https://rsf.org/en/holdtheline-campaign-launched-support-maria-ressa-and-independent-media-philippines |access-date= |website=rsf.org |language=en}} and the Free Narges Coalition,https://www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en/news/international-coalition-launches-to-demand-immediate-release-of-narges-mohammadi which was launched to campaign for the release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi from prison and wider human rights protections in Iran.

Vincent faced extensive barriers in monitoring extradition proceedings against Julian Assange in London courts.{{Cite web |date=2020-10-09 |title=US/UK : Julian Assange's extradition hearing marred by barriers to open justice {{!}} RSF |url=https://rsf.org/en/usuk-julian-assange-s-extradition-hearing-marred-barriers-open-justice |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=rsf.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=27 October 2021 |title=It's well past time to free Julian Assange – DW |url=https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-its-well-past-time-to-free-julian-assange/a-59637163 |access-date= |website=dw.com |language=en}} In April 2023, Vincent and Reporters Without Borders' Secretary-General Christophe Deloire were barred access from Belmarsh Prison, where they attempted to visit Assange.{{Cite web |date=4 April 2023 |title=UK: RSF barred from vetted prison visit to Julian Assange {{!}} RSF |url=https://rsf.org/en/uk-rsf-barred-vetted-prison-visit-julian-assange |access-date= |website=rsf.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Maurizi |first=Stefania |date=11 April 2023 |title=Assange, Rebecca Vincent (Rsf): "It is time the US and UK put a stop to the case, they should lead by example" |url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/in-edicola/articoli/2023/04/11/assange-rebecca-vincent-rsf-it-is-time-the-us-and-uk-put-a-stop-to-the-case-they-should-lead-by-example/7126168/ |access-date= |website=Il Fatto Quotidiano |language=it-IT}} They later succesfully gained accesshttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/18/julian-assange-press-freedom-wikileaks-uk-high-court and Vincent visited Assange in prison six times before his release in June 2024.https://newint.org/crime-and-justice/2024/julian-assange-release-press-freedom

In 2025, Vincent took up the post of Interim Director of Big Brother Watch,https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/team/ a UK civil liberties organisation that campaigns for privacy rights and free speech. She has campaigned against the use of live facial recognition,https://www.cityam.com/facial-recognition-cameras-in-croydon-should-alarm-all-londoners/ advocated for the protection of encryption in the UK government's case against Apple,https://unherd.com/newsroom/uk-government-hushes-up-its-apple-data-grab/ and has been an outspoken critic of proposals for the introduction of a mandatory digital ID.

Vincent is a member of the Magnitsky Human Rights Awards Committee{{Cite web |date= 27 April 2020|title=Magnitsky Awards Committee Members {{!}} The Magnitsky Human Rights Awards |url=https://www.magnitskyawards.com/magnitsky-awards-committee-members/ |access-date= |language=en-US}} and the Advisory Council of the Foreign Policy Centre.{{Cite web |title=Advisory Council |url=https://fpc.org.uk/about/our-people/advisory-council/ |access-date= |website=The Foreign Policy Centre |language=en-US}}

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Category:American human rights activists

Category:Women human rights activists

Category:Living people

Category:1983 births

Category:21st-century American women journalists

Category:21st-century American journalists