Freedom & Democracy
Spotlight: Dissidents
A New Initiative
In 2023, the Ronald Reagan Institute launched the newest initiative of its Center for Freedom & Democracy, called “Spotlight: Dissidents.” This project focuses and builds upon the previous work of the Center to bring attention to the plight of dissidents around the world. We aim to highlight their courageous efforts to promote freedom in their home countries.
With the number of democracies on the decline for over a decade, today’s authoritarians feel emboldened. At the same time, leaders here in the United States are increasingly reluctant to stand up for freedom fighters abroad. President Reagan’s example is needed now more than ever.
President Reagan's Remarks to Soviet Dissidents at Spaso House in Moscow on May 30, 1988
Russia & Ukraine
Ukraine Stands Strong with Maryan Zablotskiy
Maryan Zablotskiy, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, talks about the ongoing war in Ukraine and the role of the U.S. in supporting democracy and freedom.
The War in Ukraine with Amb. Oksana Markarova
Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, talks about the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia’s continued bombardment and illegal occupation of Ukraine, and what America’s role is in helping Ukraine fight back against the Putin regime.
Journalism Under Fire with Katerina Sergatskova
Katerina Sergatskova is the Co-founder of the 2402 Foundation. She discusses her own childhood growing up on the Crimean Peninsula, her experience as a journalist covering conflicts in Crimea and the Donbas Region, and her work as a part of the 2402 Foundation in training and equipping journalists to cover the illegal Russian War in Ukraine.
Voices of Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes and Defending Democracy with Oleksandra Matviichuk
Oleksandra Matviichuk is the head of the Center for Civil Liberties. She discusses her decades-long commitment to defending human rights in Ukraine, the Maidan uprising, the ongoing war with Russia, the documentation of war crimes, and the importance of international support for Ukraine. Matviichuk emphasizes the need for justice and accountability for war crimes and the role of ordinary citizens in supporting democracy and human rights.
Taking On Her Husband’s Jailer with Evgenia Kara-Murza
Evgenia Kara-Murza, Advocacy Coordinator for the Free Russia Foundation, talks about her husband Vladimir’s journey from documentary filmmaker to Russian dissident to political prisoner.
The Magnitsky Act: A New Era of Accountability with Sir William Browder
Sir William Browder is the Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign. He discusses his extraordinary journey from a capitalist in Russia to a leading figure in the fight against corruption and human rights abuses. Browder recounts the tragic story of his lawyer, Sergey Magnitsky, who was tortured and killed in a Russian prison after uncovering a massive fraud involving the Russian government. This led to the creation of the Magnitsky Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at holding human rights violators accountable.
China & Hong Kong
Tiananmen Square to Capitol Hill: A Human Rights Activist’s Story
Tong Yi, a Chinese human rights advocate, participated in the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square, and is a survivor of a Chinese labor camp.
Son Fights For Dissident Father’s Freedom with Sebastien Lai & Jonathan Price
Sebastien Lai is the son of Jimmy Lai, a renowned Hong Kong media entrepreneur, writer, and pro-democracy campaigner, who founded Next Digital and Apple Daily, the popular independent Chinese language newspaper in Hong Kong which was forcibly shut down in 2021. Jimmy Lai has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since December 2020.
The CCP and International Human Rights with Dr. Rana Siu Inboden
Dr. Rana Siu Inboden, a senior fellow with the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin, discusses China and its human rights abuses. She also talks about China’s attempt to co-opt U.S. liberal international human rights regimes and institutions to promote its illiberal human rights agenda.
Fighting For Democracy with Frances Hui
Pro-Democracy Hong Kong dissident Frances Hui serves as the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. Frances discusses her democracy activism which she has been involved in since her teenage years and what the ongoing fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong entails.
The Untold Story of Jimmy Lai with Dr. Mark Clifford
Dr. Mark Clifford serves as President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong and is the author of the book, “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic.” He discusses Jimmy Lai’s early life in China, his rise as a successful entrepreneur, and his eventual transition into media, where he became a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party, the role of Lai's media outlets during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, and the international response to his imprisonment.
Latin America
Middle East
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