![]() ![]() For instance, in India and Sri Lanka, Muslims were accused of being “superspreaders” and scapegoated for outbreaks, according to the report. These abuses of power and new pandemic restrictions disproportionately affect marginalized communities and minority groups. And in Cambodia, the administration has used the outbreak to crack down on political opposition, said one of the experts consulted. In Kazakhstan, there has been a reported uptick in political persecution during the pandemic. In Liberia, security forces carried out “brutal and corrupt enforcement of curfew orders,” said a survey respondent. ![]() Soon after, he was targeted by police, and made to sign a statement acknowledging his “misdemeanor.” He later tested positive for the virus, and died of it in February, sparking grief and fury across Chinese social media.Īll the while, we’re seeing a rise in government abuses of power. Another example is China, which has cracked down on anyone who shares “information that contradicts regime messaging,” the report said.Ī well-known example is Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan, China, who tried to sound the alarm about the virus when it first emerged last December, before the public knew much about it. For instance, medical workers in Kyrgyzstan were forced to publicly apologize after speaking out about the problems they encountered, said one of the survey respondents. Journalists covering the crisis have been arrested, harassed, and stripped of press credentials news outlets have been shut down and censored online.Įven ordinary citizens are facing limits on free speech. Their diagnoses came just hours after Trump’s top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus.įreedom of press is under threat as well – at least 91% of the countries examined have seen increased restrictions on the news media during the pandemic, according to the report. Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. The issue of transparency can range from politicians like US President Donald Trump making unfounded or misleading statements, to companies and ministers engaging in active corruption, said the report. In the survey, 62% of respondents said they distrusted virus-related information from their national government. Numerous world leaders have failed to be candid and transparent about the impact of the coronavirus, said the report – prompting public distrust in the authorities and allowing misinformation to spread. ![]() “The harm to fundamental human rights will last long beyond the pandemic.” “The new COVID-era laws and practices will be hard to reverse,” said Sarah Repucci, one of the report’s co-authors. The experts identified five major pillars of democracy that are now under threat: government transparency, freedom of press and speech, credible elections, checks against abuse of power, and protections for vulnerable groups. Freedom House also consulted international analysts, bringing the total number of countries covered in the report to 192. Coronavirus being exploited to undermine democracies, former world leaders warnīetween January and September, Freedom House and the survey firm GQR surveyed nearly 400 journalists, activists, civil servants and experts in 105 countries and territories. ![]()
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