Freedom House has launched a new initiative pushing for the liberation of political prisoners worldwide. Democracy Digest has this information. Here is an excerpt:

A Russian court on Tuesday convicted top opposition leader Alexei Navalny of fraud and contempt of court, sentencing him to nine more years in prison in a move that was seen as an attempt to keep President Vladimir Putin’s biggest foe behind bars for as long as possible, AP reports. 

Navalny’s team reported that the video stream from the court  went dead just as he was about to quote the novelist Lev Tolstoy: “Despotism creates war and war supports despotism. Those who want to fight against war should only fight against despotism.”

Navalny’s latest conviction came as Freedom House launched a new initiative to liberate political prisoners around the world, with a particular focus on human rights defenders (HRDs), including journalists, dissidents, opposition activists, and others who promote human rights and democracy in authoritarian contexts.

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