Almost three-quarters of people ‘live in repressive conditions,’ study finds

In Peru, protestors against deforestation and illegal mining face “pervasive violence” that claimed the lives of at least two Indigenous Kakataibo leaders, while in Kenya at least 60 unarmed demonstrators against economic hardship were killed in a “brutal” crackdown and suspected supporters are still being hunted down. In Burkina Faso, Bassirou Badjo and Rasmané Zinaba were among democracy activists allegedly snatched and unlawfully conscripted to fight Islamist armed groups. Even in the once-famously liberal Netherlands protestors were met with batons, pepper spray, police dogs, and bulldozers, with thousands arrested. The allegations against the four countries place them among nine where civil society groups and journalists faced worsening repression over the past year, according to a detailed study by the CIVICUS global alliance for citizen action. Their ratings were downgraded in the organization’s annual monitoring report. CIVICUS researchers have charted a world where the scale of violation of civic freedoms is “unmistakably grim,” in ways ranging from detention of protesters — the most common abuse — to attacks on journalists, the use of excessive force, censorship, prosecutions, and even killings. Still, there are “bright spots,” its “People Power Under Attack” report finds. Nine countries — Bangladesh, Botswana, Fiji, Japan, Jamaica, Liberia, Poland, Slovenia, and Trinidad and Tobago — have been upgraded, and notable victories included Greece and Thailand passing landmark marriage equality legislation. However, CIVICUS calculates that 72.4% of the world’s population lives under “repressive conditions” — an increase of 1.5 percentage points on the year before — of which almost 30% exist in a “completely closed” civic space. Only 40 of 198 countries and territories permit “widespread respect for civic freedoms,” it said. Nevertheless, the organization struck an upbeat tone, praising “incredible resilience and solidarity from communities worldwide” in a year of “pivotal elections” across the globe. “Throughout 2024, activists and organisations continued to demand a better life for all. Many put their lives and livelihoods on the line in the pursuit of justice and equality for people who have been oppressed,” said Mandeep Tiwana, CIVICUS’ co-secretary-general. Ine Van Severen, civic space research lead, added: “People are not just resisting oppression; they are actively shaping a future where justice and equality prevail. Our vision for 2025 is one where civic space is not just protected but celebrated as a cornerstone of democracy.” The study’s findings include: • More than 2,500 incidents identified “where civic freedoms were violated,” over the 12 months to the end of October 2024. • Nearly 10% either took place in the occupied Palestinian territories or were perpetrated against people expressing support for the Palestinian people. • Attacks on journalists were recorded in at least 49 countries, from Mexico to Bangladesh and to the Democratic Republic of Congo, often aimed at preventing them from covering events or in retaliation for their reporting. • Africa south of the Sahara remains particularly repressive, with criticism targeted at 43 of 50 countries and territories. Civic space is fully open only in the island states of Cabo Verde and São Tomé e Príncipe. CIVICUS worked with more than 20 civil society research partners to rate countries as either “closed,” “repressed,” “obstructed,” “narrowed,” or “open,” also incorporating data from several independent human rights evaluations. Thirty countries are rated in the lowest category of “closed” — including three that were downgraded, the occupied Palestinian territories, Eswatini, and Ethiopia — 51 as “repressed,” including downgraded Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Peru; 35 as “obstructed,” Georgia and Mongolia downgraded; 42 as “narrowed”, Netherlands downgraded; and just 40 are given the top rating of “open.”