Articles by Freedom House
Sudanese authorities arrest head of human rights group
“Freedom House condemns the arrest of Dr. Medani for his work protecting and promoting human rights in Sudan,” said Jenai Cox, program manager for Africa at Freedom House.
Freedom on the Net 2014: New controls, arrests drive Internet freedom decline
Global internet freedom declined for a fourth consecutive year, says Freedom House. New laws criminalised online dissent and legitimised overbroad surveillance and data collection, while more people were arrested for legitimate online activities than ever before.
Cameroon’s National Communication Council suspends 6 prominent journalists
“Government claims that its move against journalists protects the public and ensures compliance with professional standards is simply an attempt by authorities to stifle dissent and consolidate control over independent media.”
Russia’s information controls reach far beyond the news media
Dominance of the news media is only one of the cogs in a much larger apparatus of information control constructed by the Kremlin. Over the past few years, the Russian government has refined an array of restrictive mechanisms that have given it immense power in shaping the information landscape.
An interview with recently imprisoned Mauritanian anti-slavery activist
On 11 November 2014, Biram Dab Abeid was beaten and arrested for his participation in an anti-slavery protest and remains imprisoned today. Freedom House interviewed Biram in December 2013. He discussed the dire situation surrounding slavery in Mauritania, which has the highest incidence of slavery in the world.
U.S., Europe, others fall short in speaking out and supporting democracy
The world’s leading democracies have a poor record of responding to the rise of authoritarianism in their own regions, according to a Freedom House report. The unwillingness to challenge violations of human rights, suppression of civil society, media restrictions etc. comes within the context of a mounting challenge to democratic institutions presented by authoritarian powers in Eurasia, the Middle East, China, and elsewhere.
Ethiopian court drops some, not all charges against Zone 9 bloggers
“Both the Criminal Code charges and the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation charges filed against the journalists and bloggers are equally unfounded. Therefore, the court should overturn the remaining charges and order the release of the defendants.”
Kyrgyz authorities launch criminal investigation into survey on rights of ethnic minorities
On 26 September, the State Committee on National Security of Osh city opened a criminal investigation concerning a pilot survey on respect for the rights of ethnic minorities, which was conducted in the Jalal-Abad and Batken oblasts by a local organization that Freedom House supports.