Plotting to kidnap activists in New York. Spying on students in American universities. Stalking and harassing dissidents seeking refuge in the US.

Dictators are reaching into free societies to silence dissidents and coerce governments, organizations, and companies, undermining the security of exiles and ordinary Americans alike. The United States is on the frontlines of a global fight.

At the end of last month, RDI convened its second annual Frontlines of Freedom Conference on combating transnational repression and authoritarian influence in open societies.

We brought together dissidents, business leaders, academics, and policymakers to discuss the scope of the authoritarian threat, what America can do to defend itself, and how democracies can begin working together to reinvigorate a shared commitment to defend our most cherished institutions.

It’s difficult to condense a full day of meaningful, incisive conversations into a few paragraphs. There is plenty that isn’t included here, but the following points represent some of the most important ways in which businesses, universities, and the government can resist the long arm of authoritarian influence…

45 pro-democracy leaders in Hong Kong were sentenced to up to ten years in prison for violating a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. In true CCP style, the law has made it all but impossible for dissenters to criticize the government without severe repercussions. Hong Kongese dissident and Executive Council Member of the World Liberty Congress Joey Siu, whose close friend Owen Chow was one of those sentenced, told The Democracy Brief that the court’s decision “marks yet another blatant assault on the democratic freedoms and human rights of Hong Kong's citizens.” Siu continued, “It is imperative that democracies stand united in holding the Hong Kong and Chinese governments accountable for their relentless suppression of dissent. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of these individuals, who have been unjustly targeted for voicing the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong.”

2. America continues to give Ukraine critical weapons too late

“We need a policy change that would allow the United States to provide the ATACMS missile… If Ukraine had the ATACMS missile today, they could already be hitting airfields, ammunition storage, and navy bases in Crimea… The range differential between what Ukraine is able to do and what Russia is able to do, allows the continued murder of Ukrainians.” RDI Advisory Board member General Ben Hodges observed the necessity of long range ATACMS missiles in Ukraine in 2022. For over two years of Ukraine’s fight for survival, the American strategy for dealing with Russia has been to send Ukraine critical weapons well after they need them. Sending Ukraine ATACMS now, while necessary, is yet another entry in the America’s ongoing policy of delivering too little, too late.

3. The good and the bad of Venezuela’s freed political prisoners

After the authoritarian leader Nicholas Maduro unraveled Venezuela's democratic process this past summer by declaring a false victory in the nation’s presidential elections, he promptly labeled his political opponents as terrorists and imprisoned them. Now, the regime is planning to release over 200 of them. RDI’s Dissident in Residence at Johns Hopkins University David Smolansky tells The Democracy Brief, “It is always relieving to see families reunited after being separated cruelly and unjustly with illegal detentions implemented by the security forces of the regime. Having said this, it is always concerning when political prisoners are released because the regime always uses a rotating door. While some go out of jail, others probably will come soon.”

4. Cambodia’s regime is funding itself through cyberslavery

According to a recent article from the Khmer Movement for Democracy, “The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) estimates that receipts from cyber scamming in Cambodia alone exceed $12.5 billion per year, and stand at around half of the country’s official GDP.” The Cambodian government under the authoritarian leadership of the dictator Hun Sen has built a parasitic economy of exploitation. “The government must choose either the path of organized crime or the path of international legitimacy. It should not be possible to pursue both,” note the authors of the post.

5. Kicking down the guardrails of democracy

RDI Advisory Board member Anne Applebaum recently sat down with the New York Times columnist Ezra Klein to discuss the implications of a second Trump term for America’s democratic institutions. Applebaum drew from her wealth of experiences witnessing the decay of democratic institutions firsthand in Europe and writing at length about how authoritarians corrupt open systems. She notes that “most democracies nowadays in the world… don’t fail because of a coup d’état or a military coup or colonels and rushing into the presidential palace and shooting up the chandelier.” But that is not what typically happens, Applebaum observes. “What usually happens is that an elected, legitimate leader enters office with a goal of taking over the state, of changing the nature of its institutions and using them to benefit him so that he doesn’t lose the election next time.”

Democracy Is a Kitchen Table Issue

Democrats allowed Trump to frame democracy as a hobby for civics nerds rather than something with real-life consequences for Americans.

By Evan Gottesman — November 14, 2024

In October, RDI brought together over 150 dissidents, journalists, policymakers, and thought leaders to address transnational repression and authoritarian influence in open societies at its second annual Frontlines of Freedom Conference in Washington, DC.

RDI’s dissident community detailed their personal experiences with transnational repression and brainstormed ways for us to fight back.

Our panels brought together experts from business, academia, and the technology space to cover the pervasive authoritarian influence in American society.

Here are our recommendations for how businesses, universities, and the government can best defend themselves from the long arm of authoritarian influence.