[2] Established in November 2017, IOHR has focused on a number of themes relating to prisoners of conscience, arbitrary detentions, the refugee crisis, the challenges of extremism and radicalism, social injustice, and violations of international law.

[9] In August 2018, IOHR held a third event in its #BeARefugeeSponsor series with the aunt of Alan Kurdi, highlighting the benefits of Community Sponsorship and the Canadian experience.

[11] IOHR launched the "Not Born A Radical" campaign to address causes of radicalisation and provide progressive platform for educating and empowering the youth, and engaging returning fighters, prisoners and family members.

[16] IOHR has sought to highlight the case of a growing number of dual citizens who have been incarcerated on return visits to their native Iran.

[citation needed] In June 2018 IOHR partnered with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in inviting Mrs. Vida Mehrannia, the wife of imprisoned Iranian-Swedish professor Dr Ahmad Reza Jalali, to Brussels and Strasbourg to appeal for an urgent intervention from diplomats and members of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the week before President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Europe.