May 26, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
Ayub Masih was 26 years old and working as a bricklayer in Pakistan in 1996 when he allegedly told a Muslim neighbor that Christianity was “correct” and to read The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. Although Ayub denied making these statements, he was arrested and...
May 19, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
Dr. Yang Jianli is internationally renowned for his efforts to promote democracy in China. He has been involved in the pro-democracy movement in China since the 1980s and was forced to flee China in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square massacre. He holds PhDs in...
May 12, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
Lewis Medjo is a Cameroonian journalist who serves as managing editor of the weekly newspaper La Détente Libre. Heis known for his reporting on human rights and good governance issues. Because his reporting was often critical of the Cameroonian government, he and his...
May 5, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
Maksat Kakabaev (known under his artist name Maro) and Murad Ovezov are an unusual pair. They are well-known singers from Turkmenistan who made their career performing western-style pop songs; the kind of music that is not generally tolerated by the authoritarian,...
Apr 28, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
In 2007, Mauritania became the final country in the world to ban slavery. However, despite this law the government generally did not enforce the ban and was hostile to civil society groups who demand abolition. One organization that was often a target of the...
Apr 21, 2026 | 25 Stories 25 Years, Spotlight
Labor rights in Vietnam are basically non-existent. Independent labor unions are not allowed, rather only government-controlled unions can exist. The government-led Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is controlled by government appointees and all unions under the...
