Nicaragua On June 10, 2019, the government of Nicaragua began releasing dozens of political prisoners, including individuals featured in #SetThemFree—Amaya Coppens, Irlanda Jerez, Miguel Mora, and Lucia Pineda. The government has promised to pardon all political prisoners by June 18, 2019, with the passage of a new amnesty law. However, the law also pardons human…
On June 7, 2019, Russian authorities arrested investigative journalist Ivan Golunov on multiple drug-related offenses, in what many believed to be an attempt to silence his anti-corruption work. In the days following, journalists, civil society activists, celebrities, and everyday citizens raised their voices in support of Golunov. Although non-approved protests are banned in Russia, an…
Egypt The #SetThemFree campaign highlights seven new Egyptian political prisoners and activists facing sustained judicial harassment. Amal Fathy is a former member of the April 6 Youth Movement, arrested and sentenced to two years for denouncing the Egyptian government for failing to protect women against sexual harassment in a Facebook video. Shady Ghazaly Harb is…
On January 12, 2019, the government of Zimbabwe announced a fuel price hike of 150% to generate revenue for the government, which is currently facing severe budget deficits. In response, widespread protests broke out, and labor unions announced their intention to lead a nationwide, three-day strike. The resulting crackdown saw 12 deaths and the arrests…