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# Safeguard Defenders
- URL: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/safeguard-defenders/
- Published: 2026-03-23T17:34:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-23T17:35:29.000Z
- Author: Liam Sturgess
- Tags: Profiles, #docs, #organization, Organization, Spain, Non-Profit, China, #toc

**Safeguard Defenders** is a European non-governmental organization based in Madrid, Spain.

## History

Safeguard Defenders was co-founded by [Michael Caster](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Michael-Caster) and Peter Dahlin in late 2016.[\[1\]](#fn1)[\[2\]](#fn2) The pair had previously worked together as part of the [Chinese Urgent Action Working Group](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Chinese-Urgent-Action-Working-Group).[\[3\]](#fn3) Known as “China Action” for short, the organization started operations in early 2009 and operated for almost ten years.[\[4\]](#fn4) In 2016, the Chinese government shut down China Action and forced Dahlin to relocate to Madrid.[\[5\]](#fn5)

The group reformed into Safeguard Defenders, commencing operations in late 2016.[\[2:1\]](#fn2) A new version of the organization was registered in Spain on June 13, 2019 under the corporate name Fundacion Safeguard Defenders.[\[6\]](#fn6)

## Organization

| Name                                                                   | Position                               | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Peter Dahlin                                                           | Co-Founder and Director[\[2:2\]](#fn2) | [Chinese Urgent Action Working Group](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Chinese-Urgent-Action-Working-Group)                                                                                                             |
| [Michael Caster](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Michael-Caster) | Co-Founder and Senior Adviser          | [Chinese Urgent Action Working Group](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Chinese-Urgent-Action-Working-Group), Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
| Dinah Gardner                                                          | Research Director                      | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Laura Harth                                                            | Campaign Director                      | *Apple Daily*                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| Zhang Zhiming                                                          | Coordinator                            | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Chen Yen-ting                                                          | Coordinator                            | Radio Free Asia, *Apple Daily*, Initium                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Jing-Jie Chen                                                          | Campaigner and Researcher              | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Wang Mang                                                              | Coordinator                            | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Liu Zhiqiang                                                           | Coordinator                            | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Wang Xiao                                                              | Coordinator                            | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

## External links

- [Campfire Wiki](https://www.campfire.wiki/doku.php?id=safeguard%5Fdefenders)
- [Website](https://safeguarddefenders.com/en)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safeguard%5FDefenders)

---

1. Hale, E. (2021, December 2). *Why the Women’s Tennis Association rallied for Peng Shuai*. Al Jazeera. <https://web.archive.org/web/20230420003927/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/2/why-the-wta-rallied-to-the-defence-of-peng-shuai> [↩︎](#fnref1)
2. *About Us.* Safeguard Defenders. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from <http://archive.vn/2021.12.02-145421/https://safeguarddefenders.com/en/about-us> [↩︎](#fnref2) [↩︎](#fnref2:1) [↩︎](#fnref2:2)
3. *Who?* Peter Dahlin. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from <https://web.archive.org/web/20230420004526/https://www.peterjdahlin.com/who> [↩︎](#fnref3)
4. *About Us.* Chinese Urgent Action Working Group | 中 国 维 权 紧 急 援 助 组 . Retrieved September 3, 2013, from <https://web.archive.org/web/20130903040416/http://www.china-action.org/ABOUTUS.aspx> [↩︎](#fnref4)
5. Small, R. (2022, December 8). *NGO says it uncovered more Chinese police stations in Canada.* Western Standard. <http://archive.vn/2023.04.20-021202/https://www.westernstandard.news/bc/ngo-says-it-uncovered-more-chinese-police-stations-in-canada/article%5Ffdcb3ac2-773c-11ed-8cfc-5fa0deed9d45.html> [↩︎](#fnref5)
6. *Disposición 8052 del BOE núm. 195 de 2020.* (2020, July 17). Boletín Oficial Del Estado. <https://web.archive.org/web/20220425203236/https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2020/07/17/pdfs/BOE-A-2020-8052.pdf> [↩︎](#fnref6)

## Further reading

[Unreliable NarratorsTwo New York residents arrested for running illegal Chinese police station![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/icon/White-Rose-Logo-Symbol--favicon--122.ico)White Rose IntelligenceLiam Sturgess![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/thumbnail/59daf74c-c07b-4b80-9469-8e2046aa98a0_2274x1168.webp)](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/blog/unreliable-narrators/)