Russia’s expulsion of USAID and Egypt’s prosecution of pro-democracy non-governmental groups are the most publicized cases of a concerted offensive against civil society and, more specifically, against the principles and practice of cross-border democracy assistance. Such actions violate not only …

Democracy Digest posts will be light for the next week or so as we are blogging – along with activists from around the world – from the World Movement for Democracy’s 7^th Assembly in Lima, Peru. You can check …

An exhibition of paintings depicting the brutality of Uzbekistan’s prison system goes on tour this autumn, in what artist Sergei Ignatyev says is an attempt to use art in support of human rights.

Ignatyev, originally from Uzbekistan and now living …

“Egyptian voters of many ages, occupations and beliefs stood in line for hours Wednesday to cast their ballots for a new president, AP reports. As voters flocked to the polls, Mubarak holdover Ahmed Shafiq warned them not to repeat …

Angola’s authorities are cracking down on rights activists, journalists and transparency advocates in an apparent attempt to halt exposure of rampant corruption within the ruling elite.

“On 1 May 2012, unidentified individuals broke into the home of journalist Coque Mukuta …

The Muslim Brotherhood’s attempt to “dominate and push the liberals and other currents out” of the constitution drafting process was “a significant development” in Egypt’s turbulent transition, says a prominent democracy advocate. Al-Monitor’s Sophie Claudet asks Egyptian journalist and analyst …

The Kremlin has ramped up its attacks on the US ambassador to Moscow and to a proposed civil society fund for non-governmental organizations in Russia.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov this week claimed that US democracy assistance to Russian NGOs …

Egypt’s first democratically elected parliament in more than sixty years erupted in chaos today as the dominant Islamist parties presided over a “raucous, divisive” opening session, as the ruling military officially transferred legislative powers to the new lower …

Moscow city officials today rejected a plan by opposition groups to hold a demonstration of up to 50,000 protesters on February 4.

The decision came as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rejected calls for dialogue with his critics, and analysts speculated whether …

Russia’s revived and robust opposition plans to rally near the Kremlin next month, maintaining the momentum of protests against the electoral fraud and endemic corruption characteristic of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s “soft authoritarianism.”

The news came as the new US …