Ukraine’s reform drive ‘powering ahead’
The Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine finally came fully into force on September 1 and recent events have transformed a bureaucratic text into a symbol of the… Read more »
Author Archives: DemDigest
Kremlin launches nationwide assaults on Russia’s opposition
Russian police have systematically interfered with the presidential campaign of Russia’s leading political opposition figure Alexei Navalny (left), Human Rights Watch said today: Human Rights Watch interviewed Navalny campaigners in… Read more »
China’s crackdown another step toward ‘digital totalitarian state’?
China’s crackdown on human rights activists is the most severe since the Tiananmen Square democracy movement 25 years ago, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. Beijing is systematically… Read more »
‘Azerbaijani Laundromat’ exposes kleptocratic ruling clique
Azerbaijan’s ruling elite operated a secret $2.8bn (£2.2bn) slush fund for two years to pay off European politicians and make luxury purchases, the BBC reports: The money was allegedly channelled… Read more »
West still failing to get to grips with Russian disinformation
The West is failing to get to grips with Russian hacking and fake news, the Latvian foreign minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, told The Guardian: Speaking on a visit to London,… Read more »
UN: China blocks civil society activists, harasses experts
Human Rights Watch says in a new report Tuesday that China has tried to intimidate, blacklist and squelch the voices of rights advocates who operate within the U.N. system,… Read more »
Video offers rare glimpse of Cuban ‘moderate’ leader’s hardline ideology
The Cuban opposition movement will try to register more than 170 independent candidates for the upcoming general election, which begin in October. But they have almost zero chance… Read more »
On verge of crisis, Guatemala lifts presidential immunity
Guatemala’s top court opened the way on Monday for an investigation of President Jimmy Morales (left) for alleged illegal campaign finances, but Congress will have the final say on… Read more »
Information the key to opening up North Korea
Opening up North Korea’s society is “a completely bleak problem” because citizens “have been deprived of any tools that they need, education, information, sharing tools,” according to Suki Kim, author… Read more »
Democracies should prepare for long fight against Russian disinformation
Russia carries out and encourages ‘active measures’ in Europe to destabilize and confuse governments and societies. But these are often opportunistic and shaped by local conditions, says analyst Mark… Read more »