‘Undecideds’ hold key to Egypt’s election, but Islamist pact aims to bury liberals

Are Egypt’s Islamist parties poised for a massive victory in this month’s elections? 

Eleven days before the first round, the Muslim Brotherhood today joined Salafi and other Islamist groups in publishing a “charter of honor” in an unprecedented collaboration

Putin making Russians ‘restive’ – but don’t expect revolt

Sergei Magnitsky died two years ago today, but the political impact of his death continues to resonate.

Several Republican senators want a vote on the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law and Accountability Act before they will endorse Michael McFaul, the

Azerbaijan’s rights regression

 

A must-view documentary on The Spring That Never Blossomed, detailing Azerbaijan’s deteriorating rights record. The film features the case of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, the celebrated donkey bloggers.

The World Movement for Democracy highlighted the

Ai Weiwei case shows rights defense movement ‘becoming bolder’

 

Dissident artist Ai Weiwei (left) sees his prosecution over alleged tax evasion as emblematic of countless lesser-known cases of detainees in China’s jails and labor camps, Reuters reports.

He spoke after paying some 8.45 million yuan ($1.3 million) to

Arab Spring failing to deliver dignity?

The young protesters driving the Arab Spring have been pressing for dignity as much as democracy, for employment as well as empowerment.

“Their expectations have not been met,” warns MENA economy specialist Henry Azzam. “On the contrary, conditions

November 16, 2011 in Asia, Authoritarianism, China 0

Worst idea of the year?

Should the United States “toss a vulnerable ally into the maw of a large authoritarian neighbor” for its own economic benefit?

In a recent New York Times opinion piece – “To Save Our Economy, Ditch Taiwan” – Paul V. Kane …

Azerbaijan: ‘The Spring That Never Blossomed’

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev is violating democratic rights, criminalizing dissent and consolidating authoritarian rule, according to a report released today.

History student Jabbar Savalan was inspired by the democracy movements in Tunisia and Egypt, CNN reports:

A 19-year-old in

Tibet: self-immolations give China ‘reason to be fearful’

“The chief abbot and spiritual leader-in-exile of a Tibetan monastery at the epicenter of a series of self-immolation protests against Chinese rule spoke out forcefully” today, The New York Times reports, “detailing what he called new and harsh repressive measures

US ‘too reticent’ about Yemen transition?

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters today called on the Arab League to suspend Yemen’s membership to pressure President Ali Abdullah Saleh into resigning.

Saleh today insisted that he would leave office “within 90 days” of an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation

China’s democratic indicators: towards a Fourth Wave?

The celebrated political scientist Samuel Huntington declared in 1984 that “the likelihood of democratic development in Eastern Europe is virtually nil,” Bruce Gilley reminds us, observing that the mainstream consensus holds that China’s ruling Communist party is similarly well-entrenched.