Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) is the first nongovernmental, nonpolitical and non-for-profit organization in Kosovo, founded on December 14 1989 with aim of protecting and promoting human rights and freedoms according to the internationally recognized standards. During 1990s, CDHRF has dealt with collection of information, statements, photographs and other evidences for the violation of human rights and freedoms in Kosovo, which are published in form of weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannual and annual reports.

After the end of war in Kosovo, CDHRF became an implementing partner of UNHCR, initially in the project of monitoring the return of refugees, and then in the activities related to return and reintegration of minorities and displaced people.

With the financial assistance of ABBA/CEELI, CDHRF has collected ante mortum data on the missing people and other war-crime evidences. Further, CDHRF has cooperated with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for collection of evidences of war crimes committed in Kosovo and has initiated several criminal proceedings.

With the financial assistance, CDHRF established the Legal Service which comprised of lawyers that provided free-of-charge legal assistance for civil proceedings.

CDHRF has made the monitoring of local elections in 2000 and 2002 and the general elections in 2001 and 2004. It was also engaged in the monitoring of the work of Kosovo assembly and municipal assemblies.

Currently, CDHRF in addition to the rights of minorities in Kosovo, monitors the position of prisoners being held in detention centers, and correction centers in the entire territory of Kosovo.

CDHRF is currently preparing a three-volume monograph on war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo during 1998-1999.