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Dissident Spotlight

Dissident Spotlight: Rania al-Assal
Rania al-Assal is an Egyptian journalist who disappeared during her pilgrimage to Mecca. Saudi Arabia released her almost a year after seizing her.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Walid al-Tabtabai
Walid al-Tabtabai was a conservative theocrat who opposed Kuwait's Emir's dissolution of parliament. That opposition resulted in a two-year prison…
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Armin Shadivand
Armin Shadivand was arrested for spreading "propaganda" online and for "insulting the Supreme Leader," two ridiculous charges that show how afraid…
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Awad Al-Sawafi
Arrested over a tweet, Al-Sawafi's case highlights how the internet can amplify both voices for freedom and tools of oppression.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Jean-Claude Kavumbagu
Considered the first online journalist imprisoned in sub-saharan Africa, Jean-Claude Kavumbagu’s 2010 arrest was a milestone for press freedom in a…
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Ucha Abashidze
Ucha Abashidze received a five-year prison sentence for blogging about his opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Kudakwashe Bwititi
Kudakwashe Bwititi wrote the script for a movie about a clash between religious fundamentalists. He and three co-workers were arrested for it.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Étienne Fakaba Sissoko
Étienne Sissoko was sentenced to two years in prison for writing a book that described Mali’s military junta’s use of propaganda.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Ngo Oanh Phuong
Ngo Phuong criticized one of Vietnam's largest companies and has faced ongoing arrests and harassment for it.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Anabel Hernández
Anabel Hernández has drawn the ire of Mexico's president over reporting on the ruling political party's ties to the cartels.
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Christopher Gerlacher
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Dissident Spotlight: Mohamed Tadjadit
Mohamed Tadjadit is a poet who was sentenced to five years in prison for his outspoken opposition to Algeria's oppressive regime.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Alaa Abd El-Fattah
Alaa Abd El-Fattah is an Egyptian dissident who has been imprisoned by multiple government regimes.
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Christopher Gerlacher
© 2025 Christopher Gerlacher
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