The prosecution of a prominent playwright and a director in Russia over their work is a chilling sign of increased repression, cultural figures say.
Tag: Political Prisoners
After Escaping China by Sea, Dissident Kwon Pyong Faces His Next Act
Kwon Pyong recounted for the first time the series of gambles that got him out of China by jet ski, and almost a year later, out of South Korea.
What the Mood Is Like in Iran Ahead of Presidential Elections
A special presidential election campaign is featuring blistering attacks on the status quo by conservatives and the lone reformer alike.
Russia Sets Date for Start of Evan Gershkovich Trial
The announcement of a hearing next week is the most significant movement in the Wall Street Journal reporter’s case since his arrest in March 2023 on espionage charges.
Sweden and Iran Exchange Prisoners in a Breakthrough Swap
Iran released an E.U. diplomat from Sweden and a dual Iranian-Swedish national, while Sweden released a former Iranian judiciary official serving a life sentence for war crimes.
Chinese Activists Who Gave #MeToo Victims a Voice Are Found Guilty
Huang Xueqin, a journalist, and Wang Jianbing, a labor activist, were convicted of subversion, a vaguely worded charge long seen as a tool for muzzling dissent.
Russia Detains a French National Suspected of Collecting Military Data
The detention is the latest in a series in which foreigners have been arrested or held against their will in Russia, exacerbating tensions with the West.
U Tin Oo, Embattled Pro-Democracy Leader in Myanmar, Dies at 97
A powerful figure in his country, he helped found its main opposition party. “I had to face up to the harm I did to people when I served in the army,” he said.
Hong Kong Convicts 14 Democracy Activists in Largest National Security Trial
As part of China’s crackdown on even peaceful opposition, a court in Hong Kong convicted 14 people, who now face prison time along with dozens of others.
Why a Tactic Used by Czars Is Back With a Vengeance
Authoritarian governments have long sought to target dissidents abroad. But the digital age may have given them stronger motives, and better tools, for transnational repression.