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Dear John,

On September 14, Mahsa Amini was visiting Tehran when she was arrested by Iran’s "morality police," for wearing her headscarf “improperly.” While in police custody, Amini fell into a coma and later died.

Nationwide, protests have ensued in response to the suspicious death, a manifestation of the Iranian people’s outrage at decades of oppression and the brutality that so many Iranian women face on a daily basis.

Activists, students, and other people from all walks of life are putting themselves on the line to demand freedom and justice—but the government’s sweeping crackdown on these protests shows that progress is far from assured.

As the world joins the protesters in solidarity, we interviewed Goli Ameri, Vice Chair of our Board of Trustees, and an Iranian American businesswoman and former US diplomat who encourages everyone to support the incredible bravery of Iranian women. 

To Support Ukraine, We Should Help Rights Activists from Russia and Belarus

Thousands of Russian and Belarusian human rights defenders, democratic activists, and independent journalists continue to fight for a democratic future for their countries, despite suffering decades of repression.

The next generation of political and civic leaders faces daunting challenges as they work to offer a new democratic vision for Russia and Belarus. Helping them helps Ukraine, too.

Here are concrete steps that the United States and other democratic allies can take now.

The Global Scale of Transnational Repression 

Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad was labeled a political dissident against the regime and subjected to targeted attacks of transnational repression.

Iran is one of several countries featured in our recent report, Defending Democracy in Exile: Policy Responses to Transnational Repression. Delve deeper into the country reports and learn which governments reach across national borders to silence dissent.

Invasion of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin's unwarranted and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is an attack on democracy. Though the Ukrainian military has made promising advancements this month the human toll of the war continues to mount. 

 

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