In the last quarter of 2024, Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution referred no less than 90 cases to terrorism courts. Defendants in these cases – including political opponents, journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders – have been arbitrarily held in pretrial detention for long periods, in some cases for more than six years. Egyptian civil […]
Read MoreJanuary 28 marked six months since the presidential elections in Venezuela. To this date, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has not published the electoral results disaggregated by polling station. According to Transparencia Electoral, in the July 2024 elections, candidate Edmundo González Urrutia obtained 67% of the votes, with 85% of the ballots counted. However, in […]
Read MoreAzerbaijan’s 2001 admission to the Council of Europe was intended to promote democracy, but over the past 25 years, the country has failed to uphold its commitments. Instead, President Ilham Aliyev has tightened his grip on power, suppressing political opposition, civil society, and independent media. In January 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of […]
Read MoreOn January 28, 2025, the Center for Civil Liberties, Memorial Human Rights Defense Center and their international partners launched People First! Anticipating an eventual peace talk over Russia’s war against Ukraine, this campaign is calling for prioritizing the unconditional release of all Ukrainian civilians held by the Russian state; all prisoners of war held by […]
Read MoreWith the support of nineteen governments and two foundations, the Lifeline Grant assists civil society organizations (CSOs) under threat or attack. The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) accepts applications for advocacy support and resiliency support on a rolling basis. Lifeline advocacy grants support short-term initiatives that enable CSOs to push back against restrictions on […]
Read MoreIt has been almost four years since the Burmese military toppled the elected government on February 1, 2021. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) over the past year, the junta has lost control of many areas to ethnic resistance organizations (EROs). In response, the junta has become increasingly brutal, particularly against political […]
Read MoreThe rise of online platforms has amplified both the dissemination of information and the spread of harmful content. In this blog, Christine Magoma Oumar of Kenya, 2024 Hurford Youth Fellow, examines the role that micro-influencers—individuals with smaller followings but strong trust within their communities—can play in fostering safer online environments and inspiring responsible digital citizenship. […]
Read MoreNicholas Opiyo, Executive Director of Chapter Four Uganda and Steering Committee member of the World Movement for Democracy, has voiced grave concerns about the state of human rights in Uganda ahead of the 2025-2026 election cycle. Citing a troubling history of arbitrary arrests, human rights violations, voter intimidation, and suppression of opposition politicians, Opiyo predicts […]
Read MoreFor those who live in an autocracy and hope to build democracy in their respective country, it is worthwhile trying, to understand what happened in South Africa before the fall of the apartheid regime. Iranian journalist, Maziar Bahari, conducted an interview with Roelf Meyer, a former member of parliament in South Africa who was the […]
Read MoreActive citizen participation in democratic decision-making processes—through formal mechanisms, such as elections and political parties, as well as the roles of media and civil society organizations—is crucial for ensuring government accountability. The Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN) has undertaken research to evaluate existing gaps between vertical accountability institutions and their implementation across the region while […]
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