1/ On Dec. 19, HRF hosted the inaugural NK Insider Forum in Seoul, Korea, bringing together defectors, diplomats, and activists to address the urgent issue of North Korean human rights. buff.ly/3DtX8rP 2/ This year’s theme, “Cracks in the Regime: The Exodus of North Korea’s Elite and Global Responses,” spotlighted the defection of North Korea’s elite and the international community’s role in supporting defectors and advocating for change.

1/ On Aug. 6, a task force of the Nicolás Maduro regime kidnapped María Oropeza, a coordinator of the Venezuelan opposition campaign in the state of Portuguesa. Oropeza livestreamed officials breaking into her home without a warrant and unlawfully taking her away. infobae.com/venezuela/2024… 2/ Since the regime blatantly stole the presidential elections of July 28, it has launched a massive persecution campaign against opposition members and campaigners, marked by enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and violent repression of peaceful protesters. provea.org/actualidad/ven…

1/ On April 9, #Russia conducted a series of attacks targeting the city center of Kharkiv, #Ukraine, injuring three civilians.
pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/… 2/ On April 6, Russian bombardment in Kharkiv led to six deaths and 11 injuries. The attacks also caused significant damage to residential buildings, public spaces, and vehicles.
apnews.com/article/russia…

1/ Last month, in an open letter to #Rwanda dictator Paul Kagame, the Igicumbi group of 1994 genocide survivors called on the regime to stop violent abuses against survivors and political censorship and exploitation of the official #Kwibuka commemoration. justice-survivors.com/2024/03/13/ope… 2/ The letter calls attention to the Rwandan regime’s manipulation of history, political exploitation of genocide memorials and survivors’ pain for propaganda, and the imprisonment of dissident survivors under vague genocide denial laws.
historyguild.org/regimes-around…

1/ HRF condemns the attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul during Sunday Mass that killed one Turkish national. The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack.
bbc.com/news/world-eur… 2/ Worshippers were facing the altar praying during Mass when two gunmen entered the back of the church and began firing and calmly left once they fatally wounded one man, identified as CT, who was about to become a Christian, according to his uncle.

1/ This week, Tarek William Saab, the attorney general of Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuelan regime, ordered the arrest of a group of dissidents and journalists, accusing them of treason and terrorism. infobae.com/venezuela/2024… 2/ Among those targeted was @SebastianaB, a journalist with @Infobae who has investigated and denounced corruption cases and regime violations.

1/ Authoritarian regimes have developed increasingly sophisticated techniques to control the flow of information and the digital space.

They’ve also discovered the convenience of using intermediaries to censor, to repress by proxy. buff.ly/3KvlvoB 2/ Repression by proxy requires companies to remove any content deemed illegal or offensive within strict time limits and without a court order.

If the social media platform fails to comply, it could face exorbitant fines, bans, or prosecution.

1/ One month ago, HRF returned to Taipei to host the third @OsloFF in #Taiwan — making Taiwan the most frequent host country for our Forum outside of the United States and Norway. buff.ly/3VqPCSA 2/ Renowned global activists and Taiwanese political figures & gov’t officials, including @MOFA_Taiwan Joseph Wu and Taiwanese Congressman @FreddyLim, joined us onstage to call for a united struggle against authoritarianism.

Watch here: buff.ly/3Ue7Aqw

1/ In authoritarian regimes around the world, writing the truth is a luxury that's virtually nonexistent. buff.ly/3gYgydh 2/ Censorship is a common tactic in the authoritarians’ toolkit, and few authoritarian regimes know censorship strategies better than the People’s Republic of China.

The restrictive media environment is nearly as bad as it could be.

1/ Today, July 30th, is World Day Against Human Trafficking. After two decades of international efforts to end human trafficking and modern slavery, it remains to be a poorly understood global issue. 🧵 2/ While human trafficking affects almost all countries, HRF’s research has consistently found that authoritarianism is at the structural root of human trafficking. buff.ly/2VcIkYf

Cuba has been under authoritarian rule since 1952, when dictator Fulgencio Batista took power.

Let's examine where things stand today 🧵

hrf.org/press_posts/cu… In Feb. 2019, the 1976 constitution was replaced through an orchestrated referendum process. Approximately 86.9% of the roughly 8 million who voted supported the referendum. But citizens were temporarily detained for either voting “no” or abstaining from voting altogether.

Information suppression by authoritarian regimes should come as no surprise.

So why did the international community (and the WHO) take China at its word in regards to the spread of the coronavirus? THREAD

bit.ly/coronavirus-ccp Early coverage of the crisis made clear that the CCP’s authoritarian instincts and internal climate of fear were a direct threat to global health. But on Jan 23, WHO members praised the CCP for its “transparency.”