(Washington DC, March 12th). The WLC, a global alliance of freedom activists, has come together in Washington to condemn the sham elections taking place this year in countries across the world, including Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela and Rwanda.
We are witnessing a global surge in authoritarianism. Over two-thirds of the world’s population now lives under autocratic rule. Two decades ago, this was unthinkable. We must steer a global path back to democracy!
Today the World Liberty Congress calls on leaders of the free democratic world to put the release of political prisoners at the top of their foreign policy agendas and work in solidarity with freedom activists to bring an end to dictatorships.
The killing of Alexei Navalny is a stark reminder: no one is safe from authoritarian reach. We are not safe at home, and we are not safe abroad. Dissidents are now more at risk than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
The WLC stands united against the increasing collaboration between tyrants. With 1 million political prisoners worldwide, the time to stand up and fight for freedom and the right to choose our leaders is now.