Each July, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) marks Captive Nations Week, first observed in 1959 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, by recognizing those peoples and nations suffering under communist and other totalitarian regimes.

This year, we mark Captive Nations Week with our annual Captive Nations Week Summit, which will feature representatives and experts of captive nations past and present and will focus on the roles freedom of the press, dissidents, and the international community play in advocating for human rights in captive nations. The Summit will provide an opportunity for policymakers and human rights advocates to hear first-hand from victims of the captive nations of Hong Kong, China, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, North Korea, Vietnam, and Venezuela.