Articles on Political prisoners

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Reza Pahlavi, Iranian opposition leader and son of the last shah of Iran. Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

The rise of Reza Pahlavi: Iranian opposition leader or opportunist?

A scholar of modern Iran looks at Reza Pahlavi, son of the last shah of Iran, and examines what he believes and why his profile has been elevated during the recent anti-government protests.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is swarmed by members of the media after a cabinet meeting at Government House on July 1, 2025. Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Thailand’s judiciary is flexing its muscles, but away from PM’s plight, dozens of activists are at the mercy of capricious courts

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office. Meanwhile, leading activists languish behind bars on ‘lèse majesté’ offenses.
Reporter Evan Gershkovich is greeted on the tarmac by his mother, Ella Milman, as President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris look on at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Aug. 2, 2024. Associated Press

7‑nation prisoner swap shows how diplomacy, not law, governs exchanges

The law doesn’t govern political prisoner exchanges. These are political processes done in secret, as governments can agree to whatever deals they want to make − and reject those they don’t.
Human rights activists gather in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 27, 2024, to condemn executions of political dissidents in Iran. Ali Khaligh/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Despite UN warnings, Iran’s execution of Kurds and political dissidents continues unchecked

In the wake of the death of Jîna Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, Iranian authorities have executed political dissenters at what the UN chief described as ‘an alarming rate.’
Activists including Myanmar citizens protest in Tokyo on July 26, 2022, against Myanmar’s recent execution of four prisoners Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

Top democracy activists were executed in Myanmar – 4 key things to know

Myanmar’s military junta is losing some control over the country, but its execution of four high-profile leaders and prisoners sends a warning to Myanmar citizens and the rest of the world.
At the Amna Suraka museum in Iraq, exhibits show the torture that was carried out in the cells. Hélène Veilleux/Flickr

How someone becomes a torturer

Interviews with former torturers in Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq reveal what it takes to be a torturer – which could help explain how to reduce the number of people who get tortured around the world.
Police arrest a protester at a Moscow rally in support of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who fell ill while in prison and is now hospitalized. Alexander Demianchuk\TASS via Getty Images

For Vladimir Putin and other autocrats, ruthlessly repressing the opposition is often a winning way to stay in power

There’s not much the world can do to stop authoritarian rulers from persecuting their political opponents, as shown by the standoff over Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who is ill and imprisoned.
Released prisoners sit in a bus outside Ankara, Turkey – while government critics remain behind bars due to Turkey’s sweeping terror laws. AP

Turkey releasing murderers – but not political opponents – from prison amid coronavirus pandemic

To stem the spread of COVID-19, Turkey is releasing 90,000 prison inmates. Not on the list for release: tens of thousands of academics, journalists and others the regime sees as political threats.

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