Freedom House: Lukashenka's Steps Towards the West May Be His Weakness

The economic downturn and threat of social upheaval have resulted in attacks of authoritarian regimes on nonconformity.

Annual report of Freedom House international organization on political and civil freedoms in the world says it, Radio Svaboda reports.

The report notes that countries that demonstrate the decrease in freedoms (72) have made up the largest number over the past ten years.

Only 43 countries improved indicators.

Authors of the report despite numerous challenges of the past election state that the release of political prisoners before the "presidential elections" and absence of violence after expedited plans of the USA and the EU on the way of the true liberalisation and made easing sanctions against natural persons and legal entities possible. Thus, the Freedom House's report notes that "there are few chances that current actions of Lukashenka are a real thaw. His steps towards the West are likely to be an economic weakness and desire to step aside from Russian aggressiveness.

Thus, Belarus, like the last year, is in the list of non-free countries. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan are in the list as well.

The worst indicators in political rights and civil freedoms are in Syria, Tibet, Somalia, North Korea, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, and Saudi Arabia.

The Freedom House has analyzed the situation in so-called disputed territories. Abkhazia is declared partially free, South Ossetia, Transdniestria, and Crimea are non-free.

It is celebrated that 86 countries (44%) were declared free, 59 (30%) were partially free and 50 (26%) were not free of 195 countries under the study.