Freedom House seeks to both highlight and combat authoritarian repression, in part by emphasizing its human toll. The experiences of the individuals profiled here illustrate the significant pressures and harms that human rights defenders and prodemocracy activists face in reprisal for their work. Located around the globe, these artists, journalists, and activists often languish in squalid prison conditions, sentenced or detained with little regard for due process rights, and unable to see their legal representatives or loved ones. “
“These individuals represent only a fraction of the many democracy and human rights defenders worldwide who endure similar circumstances. Mapping the scale and scope of such restrictions, and the stories behind the numbers, is essential to holding perpetrators accountable and securing the unconditional release of all confined activists. Their personal freedom, combined with long-term support for those who wish to continue their democracy and human rights work, is in turn a necessity if democratic forces are to reverse recent trends and roll back the expansion of authoritarian rule.”
Opposition International supports however possible Opposition leaders and supporters who have faced vengeful political opponents, suffered through rigged courts, and seen friends and family scared by threats. All of us bear the cost of lost democratic freedoms, not just those held prisoner.