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Egypt’s Morsi Continues Pursuit of New Civil Society Restrictions

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:42:36 +0000

Catherine Shea

Early this month, Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the law governing the election of the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament, was unconstitutional, further weakening the legitimacy of the legislature nearly a year after the more powerful lower house was dissolved by court order. Nevertheless, the administration of President Mohamed Morsi is pressing ahead with plans for the Shura Council to adopt controversial new legislation that would restrict the activities of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the country.

Russia Banishes LGBT People to ‘Fields and Forests’

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:25:11 +0000

Matthew Schaaf

During a recent visit to the Netherlands, Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed that “sexual minority rights are not violated in Russia,” using the term sexual minorities to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Putin’s words contradict his own actions and the policies of his administration.

The ‘Menace’ of Social Media

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:00:03 +0000

Shannon Coyne

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded last week to the burgeoning protests across Turkey by labeling Twitter a “menace.” He continued, “The best examples of lies can be found there.

Private Data, Secret Surveillance, and the Need for Public Debate

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:18:19 +0000

Gigi Alford

Ilana Ullman

Almost as troubling as the recent revelations about the U.S. government’s sweeping collection and analysis of the personal information of law-abiding internet and phone users are the inadequate “just trust us” response to the outrage and the administration’s lack of decisive action to regain the faith of a tense American public and wary netizens abroad.

First a Pivot, Then a Pass to Authoritarian China

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:03:53 +0000

Tyler Roylance

The public has been told that the Obama administration is avoiding new entanglements in the Middle East as part of its “Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy,” better known as the Asia Pivot. This relative neglect of the Arab world at a decisive moment in its history has already exacted a terrible price, with popular calls for democratic political reform increasingly squelched by tear gas, torture, and air strikes, and warped by desperation and cynical sectarian demagoguery. A new U.S.

U.S. Intelligence Agencies’ Gathering of Information about Americans

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:25:21 +0000

Dennis Blair

Dennis Blair is a former U.S. director of national intelligence and a Freedom House board member. The views expressed here are his own.

The Authoritarian Black Market

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:55:07 +0000

Andrew Rizzardi

Authoritarian regimes around the world are banding together to bypass international institutions and human rights norms that conflict with their abusive practices. Unlike the alliances of the Cold War era, these partnerships have few ideological underpinnings other than a shared rejection of democracy and the rule of law.

Putin’s Lies about Chechnya

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:20:03 +0000

Arch Puddington

In the weeks since the Boston Marathon bombing, a number of Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have made pointed comments on America’s indirect encounter with the ongoing conflict between the Russian government and Islamist insurgents in the North Caucasus region. The message can be summarized in two phrases: “We told you so” and “We’re all in the same boat now.”

The European Economic Crisis has Coincided with a Decline in Press Freedom in the EU

Mon, 27 May 2013 13:20:38 +0000

Jennifer Dunham

Zselyke Csaky

This blog originally appeared on the London School of Economics' European Politics and Policy Blog. To read the original, click here.

In Iran’s Fraudulent System, Rafsanjani’s Disqualification Is the Tip of the Iceberg

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:17:49 +0000

Arch Puddington

With the exceptions of the few remaining absolute monarchies and communist dictatorships, most authoritarian regimes feel compelled to hold elections in which different candidates or parties seem to compete for power, campaigns are conducted, and, occasionally, a measure of suspense precedes the ballot counting.