Ideology and Practices of Interference in African Elections
In Africa, 16 countries are holding elections this year. There are a number of high-priority topics that are common to most African countries in this sensitive field, crucial for the proper functioning of democracy. How elections are shaped/influenced through technology, citizenry engagement, and culture? And what is the perspective from Senegal, Mauritius, and Kenya, three case studies which represent democracy and elections at different inflection points? The paper was developed by the members of the Democratic Solidarity Africa (DSA).
From a liberal democracy to a populist democracy: the case of Slovakia
In Slovakia, democracy is currently under increasing threat, even more so after an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico. Is the democratic system in Slovakia sufficiently resilient and capable of facing the current pressure? What is the opinion of the former Slovak prime minister and member of the Forum 2000 International Advisory Board Iveta Radičová and sociologist Michal Vašečka?
Call to free Anar Mammadli and other Azerbaijani activists
The Forum 2000 Foundation and the Václav Havel Library are deeply unsettled by the recent detention of Anar Mammadli, an Azerbaijani human rights defender and member of the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal. The Forum 2000 Foundation and the Václav Havel Library expressed our solidarity with Mr. Mammadli and other political prisoners, and jointly appealed to Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev for their unconditional release and for the charges against them to be dropped.
The European Union should behave as a single entity with a significant role on the world stage
On 13 May, the Forum 2000 Foundation and DEMAS, an association of Czech NGOs, organized a public debate with candidates for the European Parliament, which focused on the role of the European Union in the world.
Statement | A call to grant Zhang Zhan true freedom
On Tuesday, 21 May, it was finally confirmed that Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility laureate Zhang Zhang had been released from prison on 13 May and she’s at least back with her family, although she remains under surveillance. She has thanked everyone for their support in a short video recording. However, her freedom to communicate is undoubtedly compromised and the international community should be aware of the constraints she continues to face.
Vladimir Kara-Murza wins Pulitzer Prize
Jailed Russian dissident, journalist and ICDR member Vladimir Kara-Murza has been awarded the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for columns that appeared in The Washington Post and were written at great personal risk from prison. On 14 May, the Russian Supreme Court upheld a 25-year jail sentence imposed on him last year, rejecting an appeal in which Kara-Murza said he was being punished solely for exercising his right to speak out freely against President Vladimir Putin. The pro-democracy advocate was awarded the International Forum 2000 Award for Courage and Responsibility during the 27th Forum 2000 Conference.