A country or territory’s Freedom in the World status depends on its aggregate Political Rights score, on a scale of 0–40, and its aggregate Civil Liberties score, on a scale of 0–60. See the ...

Russian military forces control most or all of the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk, and parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Following illegal invasions in 2014 and 2022, the Russian ...

There should be no normalization of US-Georgia relations until Georgian authorities release those detained or imprisoned for ...

In a Q&A with Freedom House, Abdulhakim Idris, head of the Center for Uyghur Studies, discusses his work exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s repression and how Chinese authorities have menaced him ...

Six new governments—those of Afghanistan, Benin, Georgia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe—were identified for the first time as using transnational repression tactics. WASHINGTON—Thirty governments ...

In announcing the start of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump urged the people of Iran to “seize control of your destiny” and “take over your government.” But is anyone inside Iran hearing that ...

Czech Republic: Lubomír Kopeček, Associate Professor of Political Science and Vice-head of the International Institute of Political Science at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno ...

According to the 2026 edition of Freedom in the World, media freedom, personal expression, and due process registered the most severe deterioration over the last two decades. Freedom declined globally ...

A successful response must include stronger coordination among democracies, reformed democracy assistance, and more strategic engagement with young people around the world. “Even as 2026 has brought ...

In this issue: China’s censors aim to contain dissent during harsh COVID-19 lockdowns as Xi Jinping propaganda is boosted ahead of party congress. Meanwhile, social media platforms reveal users IP ...

Co-Chairman Smith, Co-Chairman McGovern, and esteemed members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, thank you for organizing this important hearing. I appreciate the opportunity to testify before ...

The courts, a critical firewall against the undemocratic concentration of political power, are under pressure around the world and in the United States. Foundations of Freedom is a new series from ...