Founders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement that sparked mass rallies in 2014 appeared in court Tuesday in the latest case brought against activists. The nine defendants face public nuisance charges related to the Umbrella Movement demonstrations, which shut down several major roads in the semi-autonomous Chinese city for 79 days. Hong Kong’s government has brought […]
International Democracy articles
Here you can find all our articles on international democracy (as in outside the United States). The progress of world democracy, pro-democracy protest movements, and the struggle of political dissidents will be covered here. There will be no question over whether democracy is for everyone! You should also check out our main section on World Democracy with links to our broader website.
Poland makes first major moves intended to mend EU ties
Poland’s new right-wing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sacked his defence and foreign ministers in a major reshuffle
China Says It Shut Down 128,000 Websites in 2017
30.9 million illegal publications were confiscated in 2017, while 1,900 people were subject to criminal penalties
Sudan seizes newspapers after bread price protests
Sudanese security agents on Sunday seized all copies of six newspapers after they criticised the government over soaring bread prices that have almost doubled this week, editors said. Discontent has been simmering over the past few days as bread prices jumped on the back of a sharp rise in the cost of flour after a […]
Fears for ’90 university students’ held in Iran crackdown
As Iran’s state TV continues to show pro-regime rallies, fears are growing for those arrested in a crackdown on anti-government protests. More than a week of unrest that started last month saw some 22 people die, with over 1,000 detained, according to Iranian officals. Unrest spread to more than 80 cities and rural towns as […]
Violent DR Congo crackdown on democracy protests in Kinshasa
The UN said it was “deeply alarmed” by the actions of security forces in DR Congo during anti-Kabila protests in Kinshasa last Sunday, and believe the toll of victims during the crackdown “may be higher”. “Our colleagues on the ground were denied access to morgues, hospitals and detention centres. They were sent away from some […]
Turkey casts outsized shadow over Turkish Cypriot Election
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will head to the polls on Sunday, in a parliamentary election that has failed to stir enthusiasm among a largely disillusioned electorate. Elections in the internationally unrecognised entity are typically dominated by the long-running dispute of Cyprus, a Mediterranean island split b etween Turkish Cypriots in the north […]
Honduras opposition bid to annul president’s re-election rejected
Election officials in Honduras on Friday rejected the opposition’s appeal demanding the annulment of President Juan Orlando Hernandez’s re-election, which was lodged over voter fraud allegations in the bitterly disputed poll. The country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), in a statement, cited a lack of evidence and dubbed the opposition’s actions “groundless.” Election officials declared Hernandez […]
Battle Over Presidential Term Limits in Ecuador Escalating
Ex-president Rafael Correa returned to Ecuador from Belgium on Friday to lead the campaign against a referendum called by the government effectively to prevent his re-election. Videos posted on Twitter showed an ebullient Correa addressing cheering supporters from atop an open truck at the head of a cavalcade of vehicles shortly after his arrival in […]
Why Better Democracy is Key to Political Stability in Africa
Levels of armed conflict flux and wane. In 2017, levels of high fatality violence in Africa were significantly lower than during the immediate post-Cold War period. This trend has occurred in spite of the recent increases in terrorist associated fatalities in key countries such as Nigeria and Somalia. Even terrorist fatalities have declined since 2015. […]