Hostagesses Alliance

Last updated
Hostagesses Alliance
AbbreviationHAlliance
Formation2021;4 years ago (2021)
Type non-governmental organization
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Key people
 Ana Diamond
Website halliance.org

The Hostagesses Alliance, also known as the Hostage Alliance for Women, is a London-based advocacy organisation founded in 2021 by Ana Diamond, a former hostage, to campaign on behalf of women and girls subjected to hostage-taking and related abuses. [1]

Contents

The organisation works to raise awareness of state and non-state hostage-taking, including gender-based violence and mistreatment of female detainees, as well as advocates for international action against state-level hostage diplomacy. [2] [3]

Hostagesses Alliance is a specialised branch of the broader the Alliance Against State Hostage Taking, developed from the global initiative launched in New York City during the 2019 United Nations 74th General Assembly. [4] [5] The Hostagesses Alliance is committed to the the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages, and the 2013 G8 Summit's focus on preventing the kidnapping of British nationals by terrorist groups for ransom. [6]

Advocacy in individual hostage cases

The Alliance has participated in advocacy surrounding several high-profile hostage and unlawful detention cases. These have included the Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert [7] [8] [9] [10] , an Iranian-British dual citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe [11] [12] [13] , British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman, [14] an Iranian British Council employee Aras Amiri, a British–Iranian businessman Anoosheh Ashoori, as well as British national Emily Damari. [15]

Policy and legislative impact

The organisation has also supported wider policy efforts aimed at addressing state-sponsored hostage-taking. Its advocacy has been linked to the development and passage of Magnitsky legislation in the United Kingdom, which introduced targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for human rights abuses. [16] The laws are named in honour of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax advisor whose exposure of corruption and misconduct in Russia led to his arrest and death in police custody. [17]

Mission and activities

Hostagesses Alliance is a women-led non-governmental organisation focused on improving the safety of women and girls affected by hostage-taking, kidnapping, and unlawful detention. The organisation carries out research, advocacy, public education, training workshops, and policy consultation at local, national, and international levels.

References

  1. ↑ "Halliance - Global Non-Profit Alliance Against Hostage-Taking Crime". Hostagesses Alliance. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  2. ↑ "The threat posed by kidnapping for ransom by terrorists and the preventive steps the international community can take | 39th G8 summit" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "State-level hostage taking | Dr. Danielle Gilbert, Department of Military & Strategic Studies". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Relatives Of Iranian Prisoners Launch Campaign Against State Hostage Taking At United Nations". Forbes. 2019-09-24.
  5. ↑ "Families of Hostages in Iran Launch Alliance at UN". IranWire. 2019-09-25.
  6. ↑ "G8 Summit: kidnapping for ransom by terrorists - extract of communiqué". GOV.UK. 2019-09-25.
  7. ↑ "Severe Torture: That's What Kylie's Going Through". Marie Claire . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Jailed doctor Kylie Moore-Gilbert 'an Iranian bargaining chip'". The Australian . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Hostage in Iran". BBC Panorama . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Kylie Moore-Gilbert faces long road back to normality, says fellow former hostage". The Guardian . Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ Wintour, Patrick (23 January 2020). ""The Zaghari-Ratcliffes' ordeal: a story of British arrogance, secret arms deals and Whitehall infighting"". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  12. ↑ Hilsum, Lindsey (26 July 2019). "Student held in same Iranian prison as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says she was psychologically tortured". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  13. ↑ Josie Ensor, Josie Ensor (15 November 2025). "There are countless Nazanins". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "West 'tip-toeing' around Tehran's hostage diplomacy". The Times. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "I'm a former hostage. What I thought when I saw Hamas release captives". CNN. 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  16. ↑ "Magnitsky sanctions". House of Lords Library. 18 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "UK announces first sanctions under new global human rights regime". UK Government. 24 March 2021.
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