RT by @KRLS: 📣 NEW: #FreedomInTheWorld 2024 is now LIVE!
Flawed elections and armed conflict drove an 18th consecutive year of democratic decline. It's against this backdrop that billions will vote in 2024—a crucial test in the struggle for global freedom.
Political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries made improvements. The deterioration of global freedom directly affected 1/5 of the world's population, and the year’s most prolific decline was observed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lost 40 points amid a blockade and military offensive by the Azerbaijani regime.
The manipulation of elections and electoral violence was one of the leading causes of the global decline in freedom in 2023. Ecuador was downgraded from Free to Partly Free because its elections were violently disrupted by criminal organizations. Incumbents in Guatemala, Poland, Turkey, and elsewhere acted to hinder fair competition or prevent their opponents from taking power.
Armed conflicts and threats of authoritarian aggression made the world less safe and less democratic. Civilians bore the brunt of the conflict, with their lives endangered and freedoms imperiled, in the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Sudan. The Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continued for a second year, degrading basic rights in occupied territories and prompting more intense repression in Russia itself.
The denial of political rights and civil liberties in disputed territories dragged down freedom in associated countries, including some democracies. China and Russia continued their assault on the rights of the residents of Hong Kong and Tibet, and Crimea, respectively. The democratically elected governments of Israel and India were complicit in violating the basic rights of those in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Indian-administered Kashmir, respective…
[2024-02-29 05:01 UTC]
