Interviews

Featured

KYRGYZSTAN: ‘Civil society realises the importance of joint actions to protect rights and freedoms’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the potential approval of a Law on Foreign Representatives that would further restrict civil society in Kyrgyzstan with Murat Karypov, Project Coordinator of the legal programme of Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan.
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HONG KONG: ‘The law is not about national security – it’s about the authoritarian regime’s control’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the passing of a new security law and the state of civic space in Hong Kong with Patrick Poon.
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NETHERLANDS: ‘Anti-rights movements are gaining ground, challenging progress towards gender equality’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Eva Lia Colombo, Project Leader Climate & Gender at WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, about the state of the feminist movement in the Netherlands amid the rise of the far right and the cancellation of a feminist march on 10 March.
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CROATIA: ‘The longer this government remains in power, the weaker democracy and the rule of law become’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about ongoing anti-government protests in Croatia with Oriana Ivković Novokmet, Executive Director of Gong.
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SRI LANKA: ‘The government curtails online expression critical of democratic and governance deficits’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about recent restrictions on freedom of expression in Sri Lanka with Darshatha Gamage, Head of Programmes at Hashtag Generation.
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EUROPE: ‘Member states must introduce national anti-SLAPP legislation to protect public watchdogs’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Francesca Borg Costanzi, Advocacy Officer at the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, about the recently adopted European Union (EU) Anti-SLAPP Directive and its importance in preventing abusive lawsuits against public watchdogs.
Featured

PORTUGAL: ‘These elections have reminded us that democracies are fragile and imperfect’

Interviews
PORTUGUESE CIVICUS speaks about the results of Portugal’s 10 March election with Ana Carmo of Akto, a Portuguese civil society organisation that promotes human rights and democratic values through advocacy, campaigning and education.
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LESOTHO: ‘We need constitutional protections for press freedom and access to information’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about press freedoms in Lesotho with Kananelo Boloetse, chairperson of the Lesotho Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Lesotho).
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TUVALU: ‘We share Taiwan’s democratic principles, values and struggles for sovereignty’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the prospects following the inauguration of a new government in Tuvalu with Kiali Molu, a PhD candidate in Politics and International Affairs at the University of Bergen in Norway and at the University of the South Pacific.
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KENYA: ‘Protests against femicides encouraged survivors to seek justice’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Wangechi Wachira, Executive Director of the Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness (CREAW), about recent protests demanding justice for femicide victims and policy changes to combat gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya.
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INDIA: ‘Civil society efforts will be crucial to the quality of the elections’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Anjali Bhardwaj, founding member of the Society for Citizen Vigilance Initiatives (Satark Nagrik Sangathan, SNS), about recent electoral reforms and civil society efforts to ensure the quality of India’s upcoming election.
Featured

CHILE: ‘Legislation to tackle forest fires must be based on co-responsibility’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mauro González, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Climate Science and Resilience, (CR)2, about fires that recently spread through Chile’s Valparaíso region.
Featured

AFGHANISTAN: ‘The risks posed by Taliban rule are too grave for the international community to ignore’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the situation of human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan with Ehsan Shayegan, founder and president of the Porsesh Policy Research Institute (PR).
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JORDAN: ‘Commercial spyware that enables digital repression and abuse must be completely banned’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Access Now about their forensic investigation that exposed the use of Pegasus spyware to target activists and journalists in Jordan.
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EUROPE: ‘Governments are adopting measures that are beneficial for the climate but forget to include people’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Karin Van Boxtel, Co Interim Director of Both ENDS, about the farmers’ protests happening across Europe.
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EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM ACT: ‘It will be crucial for EU member states to take this legal framework seriously’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), about the European Media Freedom Act, the first integrated legislation that protects freedom of expression and media independence and pluralism in the European Union.
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MEXICO: ‘Civil society is a retaining wall against government malpractice’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Carlos G Guerrero Orozco, a Mexican lawyer and co-founder and president of Human Rights and Strategic Litigation-Mexico (DLM Mexico), about a recent victory of Mexican civil society in defence of civic space.
Featured

GREECE: ‘We fought until same-sex marriage stopped being impossible and became a necessary change’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Greece’s recent legalisation of same-sex marriage with Giorgos Keratsas, Communications Officer of Positive Voice-Greek Association of People Living with HIV.
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INDONESIA: ‘Prabowo’s victory represents the worst-case scenario for the future of human rights’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rizky Argama, Executive Director, and Violla Reininda, Programme Manager at the Centre of Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), about the results of Indonesia’s 14 February presidential election – the world’s biggest single-day election, in which over 200 million people were eligible to vote.
Featured

ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: ‘We advocate for the repeal of anti-gay laws as a matter of human dignity’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about struggles for LGBTQI+ rights and a recent legal setback in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) with Jeshua Bardoo, founder and Executive Officer of Equal Rights, Access and Opportunities SVG (ERAO SVG).
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NETHERLANDS: ‘No government should allow transfers of weapons to a state committing war crimes’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Frank Slijper, Arms Trade project lead at PAX, about a recent court victory in a case brought jointly with Oxfam Novib and the Rights Forum against the Dutch government for exporting arms to Israel that are being used in the assault on Gaza.
Featured

IRAN: ‘The regime is executing protesters to create fear and suppress any attempt at new mobilisation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the ongoing wave of executions in Iran with Asal Abasian, an Iranian journalist and queer feminist activist.
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HORN OF AFRICA: ‘De-escalation must be the primary objective’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mengistu Assefa, Program Manager at the Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), about a port deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland and the possibility of it escalating into an armed conflict with Somalia.
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: ‘The police response to riots mustn’t happen again’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about recent riots and the worsening human rights situation in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with Shirley Abriella Kaupa, Program Coordinator at Magna Carta PNG.
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GLOBAL: ‘Only through adherence to humanitarian principles and the rule of law can we shift away from armed conflict’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Neshan Gunasekera, an international lawyer from Sri Lanka, about the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the context of the case brought by South Africa against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Featured

SENEGAL: ‘After being an example of democracy in Africa, we are increasingly tending towards authoritarianism’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Abdou Aziz Cissé, Advocacy Officer at AfricTivistes, about President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone the presidential election that was due on 25 February and its implications for democracy in Senegal.
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PORTUGAL: ‘The rise of the populist right only further weakens trust in the political system’

Interviews
Also available in Portuguese CIVICUS speaks about early elections taking place in Portugal on 10 March with Ana Carmo from Akto, a Portuguese civil society organisation that promotes human rights and democratic values through advocacy, campaigning and education.
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IRAN: ‘The regime uses executions to maintain its grip on power through fear and intimidation’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Jasmin Ramsey, Deputy Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), about the ongoing wave of executions as part of the Iranian regime’s effort to suppress dissent and discourage further protests.
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EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM ACT: ‘National security cannot justify the use of spyware on journalists’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of civil society in the drafting process of the European Media Freedom Act with Jordan Higgins, Press and Policy Officer at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
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AUSTRIA: ‘A new civil society coalition is emerging to defend democracy against extremism’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the growth of the far right in Austria with Gabriela Greilinger, PhD Student at the University of Georgia, USA and co-founder and director Quo Vademus, a grassroots think tank publishing analysis by young writers and encouraging young people to engage with politics and current affairs.
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘To change global institutions, we must think boldly while acting strategically’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions, about the deficits of the global governance system and civil society’s proposals for reform.
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ASEAN: ‘Laos’s leadership raises serious human rights concerns’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the implications of Laos chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Mary Aileen Diaz Bacalso, Executive Director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA).
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ICJ: ‘There should be no place for double standards’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the context of the case brought by South Africa against Israel with Thomas Van Gool, Project Lead Israel-Palestine at PAX.
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DRC: ‘Civil society is targeted by politicians who see it as an obstacle to their power’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with journalist and human rights activist Jonathan Magoma about recent elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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GERMANY: ‘Our response to internationally networked far-right groups must also be globally interconnected’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the rise of the far right in Germany with Peter Anhalt, director of the right-wing extremism department, and Maximilian Ruf, director of the research department, at Violence Prevention Network.
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EL SALVADOR: ‘Following the vote, we are officially entering a dictatorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about El Salvador’s recent general election with César Artiga, human rights defender and coordinator of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) in El Salvador, the National Driving Team of the Escazú Agreement and the National Coalition for the Right to Live in a Healthy Environment.

EL SALVADOR: ‘The election is only a formality to give the green light to a dictatorship’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about El Salvador’s general election with Carolina Amaya, a Salvadoran freelance journalist specialising in climate crises and socio-environmental conflicts.
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INDONESIA: ‘We must become an example of successful societal resistance against the threat of autocratic rule’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the upcoming general election in Indonesia with Muhammad Isnur, chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and Secretary of the Board of the Human Rights Working Group.
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AZERBAIJAN: ‘Operating on the ground has become increasingly difficult due to security concerns’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the links between the exploitation of fossil fuels and human rights violations in Azerbaijan with Kate Watters, Executive Director of Crude Accountability.
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PAKISTAN: ‘It doesn’t matter who casts the vote as much as who counts the vote’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about Pakistan’s upcoming election with Muhammad Mudassar, Chief Executive Officer at the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP-Pakistan).
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GERMANY: ‘The far right is instrumentalising protests triggered by completely legitimate concerns’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the rise of the far right in Germany with Jakob Guhl, Senior Manager, Policy and Research at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
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VENEZUELA: ‘With the new NGO law, the government aims to take control of the entire associational fabric’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Rigoberto Lobo Puentes, founder of Promotion, Education and Defence of Human Rights (Promoción, Educación y Defensa en Derechos Humanos, PROMEDEHUM), about Venezuela’s NGO bill which, if passed, will further hinder civil society’s work.
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘Civil society is a vital tool for achieving a more democratic system’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Anja Olin-Pape, Head of Strategy at the Global Challenges Foundation, about the deficits of the global governance system and civil society’s proposals for reform.
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ECUADOR: ‘Violence is linked to the deterioration of the living conditions of young people from low-income groups’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the current crisis of violence in Ecuador with Mauro Cerbino, professor and researcher at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Ecuador.
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NORWAY: ‘On top of being environmentally irresponsible, deep-sea mining is unlikely to be profitable’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Martin Sveinssønn Melvær, Materials and Industry Lead at the Bellona Foundation, about the bill recently passed by Norway’s parliament to allow commercial-scale deep-sea mining.
Featured

HONDURAS: ‘Human rights should be more than just talk. They should be reflected in practice’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Christopher Castillo, General Coordinator of Alternative for Community and Environmental Vindication of Honduras (Alternativa de Reivindicación Comunitaria y Ambientalista de Honduras, ARCAH), about progress made and pending issues after two years of Xiomara Castro’s presidency.
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EL SALVADOR: ‘Legalising abortion is all about recognising women’s status as citizens’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Morena Herrera, president of Citizens’ Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion, about the struggle for abortion rights in El Salvador, which has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world.
Featured

ARGENTINA: ‘Citizens must be able to take part in informed discussions on the issues that affect them’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Mariela Belski, Executive Director of Amnesty International Argentina, about the potential human rights effects of changes introduced by Argentina’s new government led by President Javier Milei.
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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE: ‘A system that embraces diversity and inclusion is more legitimate’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks with Marc Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group and former diplomat at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, about the deficits of the global governance system and proposals for reform.
Featured

SERBIA: ‘People are concerned that a critical tool to hold political elites accountable is being taken away’

Interviews
CIVICUS speaks about the results of Serbia’s recent elections and subsequent protests with Raša Nedeljkov, Programme Director of the Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA).

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