Turkey April 2, 2026 Q&A: Persecuted for Her Work in Turkey, Journalist Sofya Alagaş Won’t Be Silenced Key Points: Sofya Alagaş is a Kurdish journalist and politician in Turkey who spent a year in prison in connection with her reporting on the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Freedom House’s Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners has taken on Alagaş’s case, working to bring attention to the false charges that have disrupted her life—and which reflect the growing pressure on independent media and political dissent in Turkey—and to assist her in her fight to overturn her conviction. Alagaş discusses the situation for journalists in Turkey, her own persecution by Turkish authorities, and what inspires her to keep fighting for the freedom of journalists, women, and people who face repression around the world. Keep Reading
Pakistan March 5, 2026 TNR Watch: Pakistan’s Intensifying Campaign of Transnational Repression Key Points: In recent months, the Pakistani government has increased its legal harassment of exiled journalists and dissidents. Additionally, there are signs that UK authorities are treating recent acts of physical intimidation directed against outspoken Pakistani exiles as possible transnational repression. Keep Reading
Cuba February 19, 2026 Political Prisoners Watch: Artists Behind Bars Key Points: Repressive regimes in Cuba deploy the machinery of the state to silence criticism and dissent. It is therefore hardly surprising that artists—whose creative work can expose, ridicule, and condemn in emotive and powerful ways—are common targets of political persecution. Meet two Cuban artists, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Osorbo Castillo Pérez, who use their creative expression to challenge powerful systems, and have been punished with political imprisonment. Keep Reading
Iran January 23, 2026 Tipping the Balance: How to Support Iranians in Their Tireless Struggle for Freedom By Adrian Shahbaz Key Points: Amid rising authoritarianism and a wavering international commitment to human rights, the latest wave of protests in Iran is a reminder of the universal desire for freedom. This policy brief outlines how democracies can help realize that aspiration. Keep Reading
China January 15, 2026 Q&A: Amid the Chinese Communist Party’s Authoritarian Rule, How Does Freedom House Uncover Dissent in China? By Kevin Slaten Key Points: Protest activity in China is more common than many people may realize. Kevin Slaten, research lead for the China Dissent Monitor (CDM), spoke with our editors about how the CDM team uncovers dissent activity in China, what this information tells us about economic, social, and political trends there, and why understanding dissent and protest in China is important for people living in the United States. Keep Reading
Q&A: Amid the Chinese Communist Party’s Authoritarian Rule, How Does Freedom House Uncover Dissent in China? January 15, 2026
