"After a several-decade hiatus, military coups have once again proliferated in recent years," Jamie Fly and @ygorokho.bsky.social write. https://wapo.st/4d38JOh

The US score lost 3 points & stands at 81/100. Is 3 points a lot or a little? - Most countries experience no score change every year (This year 54 ⬆️, 35 📉, but 106 no change) - Big point drops are driven by coups & wars. - Avg of all Free countries over the last 20 years has moved by 1 %.

📣Freedom in the World 2026 is now out! freedomhouse.org/report/freed... tl;dr: - Global freedom declined in 2025 & every year since 2005 - 20 yrs of backsliding has transformed the world: more autocrats, fewer democratizing states - Freedom deteriorated in the US last year & over the last 20

As one of the authors of this report, all I can say for now is: Tune in on Thursday! freedomhouse.org/event/report...

Happy to have seen Mr Nobody vs Putin a few weeks ago and heard Pavel talk about making the film.

Join us next week as we talk about the findings from 2025 and the last 20 years!

Did not have “use ChatGPT to keep a journal of repression” on my how will AI make TNR worse bingo card. www.cnn.com/2026/02/25/p...

We're launching Freedom in the World 2026 on March 19th! Last year was A LOT for anyone working in civil society, studying democracy, or, if really unlucky, doing both. But, we put together the 53rd edition and I hope you join us next month to hear about it: freedomhouse.org/event/report...

📢‼️Civil society urges the Member States of the Council of Europe to support the adoption of a Convention on Transnational Repression, establishing legally binding mechanisms for prevention, protection, and accountability. https://iphronline.org/articles/appeal-for-a-coe-convention-on-tnr/

Radio Free Asia, one of four federally funded news organizations the Trump administration has aimed to close, will shut down its news operations on Friday for the first time since its founding in 1996. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us...

“Australia has largely refrained from using unilateral sanctions, visa bans, and other accountability measures for perpetrators,” write Grady Vaughan and Andrew Chubb in The Interpreter. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/closing-gaps-australia-s-approach-transnational-repression

@freedomhouse.bsky.social's series examining how democratic countries that are home to exiled dissidents can respond to the threat posed by transnational repression continues with a new report on Australia out today! freedomhouse.org/report/speci...

Very excited to see this out in the world. Nate pioneered the civil society study of transnational repression and brought this issue to the attention of many policymakers in the US and around the world.

State Dept’s HR reports finally dropped yesterday. Lost of important sections are gone: election misconduct, corruption, LGBT & women’s rights. Freedom of assembly is gone! For those following the TNR space, that section remains but reports mention only a handful of cases, omitting key incidents.

Any NYC-based lawyers with an interest in transnational repression interested in a chat?

To learn more about TNR in the UK, check out our recent country case study: freedomhouse.org/report/trans... (3/3)

We welcome today’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights report on #transnationalrepression in the UK, which suggests several important ways to counter TNR, including by adopting a formal definition, monitoring and recording incidents, training police, and preventing Interpol abuse. (1/3)

We condemn the latest bounties issued by Hong Kong authorities against exiled prodemocracy activists, in what the governments of Canada, the US, and the UK have rightly called out as an act of #transnationalrepression. (1/2)

Actions after a public commitment like the G7 members made last month is as important as the commitment itself www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

For @lawfaremedia.org, I explained how the Trump administration has destroyed promising policy progress on transnational repression in record time www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trum...

New biweekly English-language newsletter coming from @faridaily.bsky.social, Margarita Liutova, and co. The focus will be Russian politics and economics. open.substack.com/pub/faridail...

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about transitioning from academia to alt ac research in the NGO space is seeing the impacts of research in the wild. This week has been especially significant in that regard.

Our China Dissent Monitor is back! CDM tracks protests in mainland China - an excellent way to see largely hidden dynamics in one of the world's most authoritarian states. This is the kind of research we are at risk of losing permanently amid USG funding cuts.

This interview with Tamara is a terrifying window into what cuts to RFA will do to vulnerable journalists reporting on some of the most repressive regimes in the world www.cjr.org/the_media_to...

Today's Spotlight🔆on Freedom: 🏛️ Responses to #TransnationalRepression in Canada and the UK 🟧 TNR Watch: Diplomatic Crisis 🏆 Our 2025 Annual Awards recap More: bit.ly/FH-05-29-25 Subscribe: bit.ly/Subscribe_FHnewsletter

🟧 NEW TNR WATCH French prosecutors recently indicted three Algerian nationals for their alleged involvement in the 2024 abduction of activist Amir Boukhors in Paris. Our new analysis details the diplomatic fallout as France pursues accountability: freedomhouse.org/article/tnr-...

We are concerned by the recent detention of at least 8 current & former Kloop staff members in Kyrgyzstan. Although some were released after being interrogated, three journalists remain in detention without access to lawyers. We urge Kyrgyz authorities to respect press freedom & the rule of law.

Looking forward to reading this regularly.

Transnational repression is in the news in Canada again thanks to the great work of the CBC and ICIJ. The Canadian government has been working on some responses but gaps remain. Read our new @freedomhouse.bsky.social report published yesterday: freedomhouse.org/report/trans...

The absence of police (normally ubiquitous in NYC) was striking. Volunteers held hands to block intersections one by one so the march could keep going. Wild.

With Yoon removed from office today, by my count that makes 34 democratic leaders convicted since 2010. Only one—Trump—faced no real consequences. Trump's actions weren't uncommon. What was exceptional was how our institutions failed to hold him accountable.

More shakeups in the Russian news industry.

Russia will be placed on the top level of a government scheme aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence, security minister Dan Jarvis has announced. Anyone directed by Russia to carry out activities in the UK must declare it or face five years in prison. www.itv.com/news/2025-04...

A huge crowd of protesters gathered in Istanbul today for a mass demonstration against the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Immigrants make up about a quarter of Canada’s population. Many are naturalized citizens (I am). They are being denied entry to the US arbitrarily based on their place of birth. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

LFG

👀everyone taking a second to scroll through the member lists of their signal group chats

🚨New paper alert! 🚨 What happens when the opposition takes power under authoritarian regimes? What can Putin-era Russia teach us about how to challenge dictators? tl/dr: create a credible alternative and fight corruption onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... @ajpseditor.bsky.social 1/

The Canadian federal election called yesterday will be the first election to play out in direct response to the new US foreign policy which embraces traditional adversaries and punishes traditional allies.

The most common form of election violence documented by #FreedomInTheWorld was attacks on candidates, occurring in 20 countries. Voting places were attacked in 14, and violence during election-related protests took place in 11. Our breakdown: freedomhouse.org/report/freed...

“History will judge us for how we meet this moment. Failing to stand with Ukraine will not only weaken Ukraine, but also damage the security of the United States and its allies by emboldening and empowering autocracies around the world.” freedomhouse.org/article/free...

It’s a good time to make a donation to razom or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

People who work on democracy and governance know this, but today is the last day at work for many of my colleagues at Freedom House. Due to the foreign aid freeze, we’ve had to make extensive layoffs and today is the day.

We at @freedomhouse.bsky.social released Freedom in the World 2025 today and I hope people get a chance to read this report, which is based on an assessment of political rights and civil liberties in over 200 countries and territories.

We're launching Freedom in the World 2025 tomorrow! Please join us to hear the findings and the discussion by our expert panel! Please also consider supporting @freedomhouse.bsky.social with a donation so we can continue to do research and all of our other work directly with civil society.

"It is in those countries’ interests to resist and rebuff the tools of #transnationalrepression —including the misuse of immigration controls and bad-faith allegations of terrorism— that harm some of the world’s most vulnerable people." Learn more: freedomhouse.org/article/afte...

STATEMENT: We reaffirm our solidarity with the heroic people of Ukraine as Russia's illegal full-scale invasion enters its fourth year. A commitment to Ukrainian victory, on Ukraine’s terms, is the only acceptable outcome. Full statement: freedomhouse.org/article/free...

📅 Mark your calendars! Join us February 26 for our 2025 #FreedomInTheWorld report launch event! Review this year's key takeaways with our in-house experts, plus Mantas Adomėnas, Nosmot Gbadamosi, & Caoilfhionn Gallagher. For more information and to RSVP: freedomhouse.org/event/launch...

Counter point: it’s actually important for lawyers to continue to defend people even in the most dire circumstances amid toughest odds. mdza.io/k/FkadNnXbRQ