📣 NEW: #NationsInTransit 2024 is now LIVE! https://lnkd.in/g3_zPWmT Democratic governance in the region spanning from Central Europe to Central Asia marked 20 consecutive years of decline. The region's deepening democratic divide revealed a shifting geopolitical order. Of the 29 countries covered by our report, 10 suffered declines in their Democracy Score, while just five earned improvements. The continued assault of basic freedoms by Eurasian autocracies and the challenges to democratic institutions within Hybrid Regimes easily outweighed democratic countries’ modest gains. A geopolitical reordering is underway, with countries throughout the region sorting themselves into two opposing blocs: those committed to a liberal, democratic order and those that violently reject it. Moscow’s ongoing attempt to conquer Ukraine and the Azerbaijani regime’s inhumane conquest of Nagorno-Karabakh illustrate the deadly consequences of authoritarian expansion. Autocracies have deepened their repression and cooperated to upend international norms. Democracy Scores further deteriorated in four of the eight Consolidated Authoritarian Regimes analyzed in our report. These regimes collaborate in and outside the region to evade sanctions, crush opposition, and circumvent accountability for violations of international law—building a new order yet to be countered by the democratic community. Democracies in the region showed improvements, but Poland’s democratic recovery will be crucial for the future of the wider region. Four of the five countries whose Democracy Scores improved were already classified as Semi-Consolidated or Consolidated Democracies. Though Poland’s score declined due to the ex-ruling party’s electoral manipulation efforts, an opposition victory poses a vital opportunity to restore the country’s democratic institutions. Hybrid Regimes were caught between the democratic and autocratic blocs, with some on a clear, antidemocratic trajectory. Ukraine was the only Hybrid Regime to experience a Democracy Score improvement. The 11-country group of Hybrid Regimes can be broken down as those autocratizing, those democratizing, and those in between. For lasting democratic change, international partners will need to tailor their policies accordingly. To effectively counter authoritarian gains, democratic governments must broaden their approach to democracy promotion. Beyond their traditional focus on free elections, rights protection, and institutional reform, they must be ready to invest more substantially in military preparedness and provide Ukraine with necessary aid. Failure to do so with only perpetuate the current negative trend. Read our full report and review our recommendations for how to address these trends by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/g3_zPWmT
Freedom House
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We are founded on the core conviction that freedom flourishes in democratic nations where governments are accountable
About us
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world. Freedom House supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights. Since its founding in 1941 by prominent Americans concerned with the mounting threats to peace and democracy, Freedom House has been a vigorous proponent of democratic values and a steadfast opponent of dictatorships of the far left and the far right. Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie served as Freedom House’s first honorary co-chairpersons. Throughout its history, Freedom House has opposed tyranny around the world, including dictatorships in Latin America, apartheid in South Africa, Soviet domination of Central and Eastern Europe, and religiously-based totalitarian regimes such as those governing Sudan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Freedom House has promoted the growth of freedom by encouraging U.S. policymakers, international institutions, and the governments of established democracies to adopt policies that advance human rights and democracy around the world. At the same time, Freedom House provides support to individuals working in the world's young democracies to overcome debilitating legacies of tyranny, dictatorship and political repression; as well as to activists working in repressive societies to bring about greater freedom and openness. Freedom House translates the intangible values of freedom into a strong tangible impact by combining analysis, advocacy and action.
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http://www.freedomhouse.org
External link for Freedom House
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- Non-profit Organizations
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- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Washington, DC
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- Founded
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- Advocacy, Action, Research, Analysis, Human Rights, and Project Management
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Primary
1850 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20036, US
Employees at Freedom House
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Gerardo Berthin
Vice President of International Programs at Freedom House
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Felix Maradiaga
Pro-democracy activist. Consultant. Trustee at Freedom House. Sergei Magnitsky Human Rights Award, 2023.
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Antonella Napolitano
Researcher and Policy Analyst (Tech and Human Rights) | Strategy & Impact Advisor for Independent Newsrooms
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Nicole Bibbins Sedaca
Updates
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⚡ NOW AVAILABLE: Venezuela preelection assessment Venezuela scores a 18/100 on our election vulnerability index, with 0 being the most vulnerable to digital election interference. Learn more about what we’re tracking ahead of elections on July 28: https://lnkd.in/g7ADhjAP
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🇷🇼 Rwanda is rated Not Free by both #FreedomInTheWorld 2024 & #FreedomOnTheNet 2023. The Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Paul Kagame, has ruled the country since 1994, using a variety of repressive tactics to suppress dissent at home & abroad. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gMGeCdZ9
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“A rethinking of US policy on Iran is urgently needed to decrease the sustainability of the regime’s harmful domestic, regional, & nuclear activities,” argues FH’s Patricia Karam. Learn more about how to mitigate Iran's global antidemocratic impact: https://lnkd.in/gnEMF3dY
Restricting the Flow of Funds to Iran's Repressive Regime
freedomhouse.org
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📅 It’s been almost six months since we launched “Visible and Invisible Bars," which analyzes the tactics used by autocratic leaders to muzzle their democratic opposition. Look back and learn more about political imprisonment and what's known as "civil death"⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gdkSQCXn
Visible and Invisible Bars
freedomhouse.org
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🟧 NEW TNR Watch: Interpol on Notice Although Interpol has made improvements to its processes in recent years, it remains vulnerable to abuse as a tool of #transnationalrepression by nefarious state actors. We highlight a few of these recent incidents: https://lnkd.in/gMKJ4Uin
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STATEMENT: Saturday's assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump was a grim and shocking blow to the American democratic process. Political violence is completely unacceptable in any context. https://lnkd.in/gNBGbdXz
United States: Assassination Attempt against Trump Is an Assault on Democracy
freedomhouse.org
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🇷🇼 The Rwandan elections begin today, and President Paul Kagame is widely expected to win another 5-year term. As voting starts, read our preelection assessment for the digital interference issues that may undermine meaningful electoral competition: https://lnkd.in/gmSV7VQW
Election Watch for the Digital Age
freedomhouse.org
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“In a region where many countries are facing democratic backsliding and increased restrictions on civil society, Taiwan offers a valuable example of strength and resilience.” Read more on Taiwanese resilience to CCP pressure from FH's Dan Keesey⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gpB--qep
As Media Zooms in on Chinese Military Drills, Taiwan's Protest Movement is Overlooked
freedomhouse.org
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Today is the fourth birthday that Mubarak Bala is spending unjustly behind bars in Nigeria. No one should be imprisoned for advocating for freedom of religion and nonbelief. #FreeMubarakBala Join us in sending him a birthday message of support: https://lnkd.in/gbPM58Yj