Freedom Alert

The detention of Belarusian activist Mikita Kavalenka and journalist Alyaksandr Barazenka during a Minsk protest calling for the release of opposition activists is yet another disturbing example of the Lukashenka regime’s attempts to stifle dissent.

Freedom House condemns the brutal crackdown on peaceful, student-led protests in Khartoum and the arrest of more than 70 people by state security forces.

On December 20, the Hungarian Media Council reassigned the frequencies of three radio stations, removing one of Hungary’s only remaining independent stations, KlubRadio, from the airways. The Media Council’s decision to essentially ban KlubRadio is a major blow to media freedom in Hungary.

The Malaysian Senate’s passage of the Peaceful Assembly Bill on December 20 is an alarming indication of backsliding in freedom of assembly and expression in Malaysia.