Update from Freedom House CEO Jamie Fly: New Partnerships and Opportunities to Stand for Freedom

This fall brought new partnerships and new opportunities to stand with those on the front lines of the fight for freedom.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

In September, I joined Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal in New York for Carnegie’s Values and Interests series. We discussed why democracy is both a moral and a political principle, the regression of freedom globally, and what can be done to counter the new wave of autocrats and illiberal actors.

Ambassadors for Freedom Initiative 

On September 10, Freedom House launched our new Ambassadors for Freedom initiative, bringing together prominent democracy and human rights advocates who will work with us to elevate our advocacy and engage policymakers and the public. Our inaugural ambassadors are Carolina Barrero, Nazanin Boniadi, Anaïse Kanimba, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Anna Kwok, representing movements and communities confronting repression in Cuba, Iran, Rwanda, Russia, and Hong Kong. Anna Kwok has already engaged in her new role speaking about her own experience being targeted for her activism in Hong Kong. We have worked with several of the ambassadors for years and are excited to engage them even more closely to reach our shared goal of a world where all are free. 

Technology and Democracy Team

The launch of Freedom on the Net 2026 is scheduled for October 22. Please join us for our event, where Freedom on the Net staff and technology and democracy experts will experts will discuss global trends, country-specific developments, and best practices for how to protect internet freedom. The launch will also feature the contributions of Rutgers students through our partnership with the Rutgers Democracy Lab. 

Confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s Repression

Freedom House greeted Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington in September by highlighting the breadth of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression. On September 15, we hosted a public event, The Political Prisoners Xi Jinping Doesn’t Want You To See. Pastor Ezra Jin joined us following his release in July after almost nine months’ detention in China, and spoke about his experience alongside his daughter, Grace Jin Drexel. As many of you know, Freedom House worked extensively on Pastor Jin’s case through our Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners. Sophie Luo, wife of political prisoner Ding Jiaxi; Gao Pu, whose parents Pastor Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu are imprisoned; and Rayhan Asat, whose brother Ekpar Asat remains in prison, all offered remarks about how CCP repression has affected their families. We also published several pieces around Xi’s visit. Freedom House Director of Policy and Advocacy Katie LaRoque released a policy brief on the CCP’s efforts to harass critics in the United States and offered recommendations for US policymakers, and our Taiwan office lead, Kevin Slaten, wrote about ongoing protests inside China. I spoke to USA Today about the contrast between press freedom in the United States and in China. 

We also continued to highlight the case of Jimmy Lai, the recipient of our 2026 Freedom Award, who remains imprisoned in Hong Kong. Additionally, the Fred Hiatt Program recently adopted the cases of Joshua Wong, who was imprisoned for his activism in Hong Kong’s prodemocracy movement; and Go Sherab Gyatso, a prominent Tibetan monk, scholar, and author imprisoned by the CCP for his religious belief and activity. 

On the Road

In early October, I traveled to Finland and was honored to meet with Finnish President Alexander Stubb to present Finland the 2026 Freedom House Leadership Award in person. Freedom House had honored Finland at our Annual Awards dinner in May 2026. While President Stubb couldn’t attend the dinner to accept the award on behalf of Finland, he invited me to Helsinki to receive the award in person. At a time when authoritarianism is on the rise globally, Finland’s commitment to protecting fundamental freedoms underscores the importance of democratic resilience and resolve. 

I also joined the 2026 European Democracy Summit in Brussels, convened by the European Business Summits, for a discussion on why strong democratic institutions are essential to Europe’s economic competitiveness.

Stay Engaged with Freedom House

We hope you can all join us for the launch of Freedom on the Net 2026: Seismic Shifts on the Global Internet on October 22, 11:00am-12:00pm ET.

Our 85th anniversary is October 31 and we invite supporters to keep Freedom House in mind for their giving priorities for 2026. We hope you can consider making a gift to support our work advancing and defending democracy. 

Thank you, as always, for standing with us in support of our vision of a world where all people are free.

With best regards,

Jamie Fly
CEO
Freedom House