Before the 2018 Velvet Revolution a change of government in Armenia seemed most unlikely. Opposition to president Serzh Sargsyan’s government had been progressively growing, escalating in light of the announcement on 12 April that he would run for the post of prime minister, having served two terms as president. Four years earlier, Sargsyan had promised […]
The president is elected for seven-year terms via direct elections. Term limits are not in place. Since the early 1990s, elections have not been considered competitive or credible by international observers. President Ilham Aliyev won a fourth term in 2018 with some 86 percent of the vote amid clear evidence of electoral fraud and a […]
The judiciary still remains subject to political influence and corruption, lacks transparency and is understaffed. The judiciary suffers from acute lack of resources and personnel. Shortly after overthrowing Alpha Condé, junta leader Doumbouya ordered the return of properties and cars from judges who approved Conde’s third term. Besides the creation of a new anticorruption court, […]
Rule of Law Judges are highly prone to corruption and political pressure, and the court system lacks the resources and capacity to function efficiently. Corruption is very common among police, and officers very often fail to observe safeguards granted by law against arbitrary arrest and detention. Very rarely criminal cases are brought to trial or […]
The judiciary lacks independence, and judges very often consult with the president before issuing important verdicts. As per the constitution, the president is the country’s first magistrate. He also supervises the body that nominates judges. The vice president often criticizes the judiciary, exerting pressure on judges who are worried of being dismissed or arrested. On […]
Djibouti is one of the smallest nations in Africa, with an area of just 23,200 square kilometres and a population estimated at about 990,000. The size of Djibouti’s economy curtails its capability to diversify production and increases its dependence on foreign markets, making it relatively more vulnerable to market downturns and hindering its access to […]
The executive branch applies influence over the courts, which typically guard the interests of the government, military, and security apparatus and have very often overlooked due process and other basic safeguards in cases against the government’s political adversaries and all forms of independent expression. The 2019 constitutional amendments further cemented the president’s supervisory and appointment […]
Political groupings exist in Republic of the Congo, but the government represses those not aligned with the ruling Congolese Labor Party (PCT), including by persecuting their leaders. President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s two most prominent opponents in the 2016 presidential election, André Okombi Salissa and retired general Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko, received prison terms after the election. […]
President Denis Sassou Nguesso has been in power nearly uninterrupted for over 40 years by severely repressing the opposition. Decades of political instability and corruption have contributed to pitiable economic performance and extreme levels of poverty. Abuses by security forces are regularly reported and hardly ever investigated. While a range of media operate, free coverage […]
Due to the manipulation of the electoral process by political elites, the political system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is badly paralyzed. Political system is heavily influenced by a long-running struggle in the east of the country. Citizens are simply unable to freely exercise basic civil rights, and corruption is endemic. Physical […]
Eswatini is a monarchy presently reigned by King Mswati III. The king exercises final authority over all branches of the national government and controls local governance by virtue of his influence over traditional chiefs. Political dissention and civic and labor activism invite harsh punishment under sedition and other laws. Additional human rights problems include discrimination […]
Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, this militarized authoritarian state has had no national election. President Isaias Afwerki headed PFDJ (The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice) is the sole political party. Arbitrary detention is usual, and citizens need to perform national service, often for their entire working lives. The government downed shutters of all […]
Regular elections are held in Equatorial Guinea, but voting is not free and fair. The current president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who captured power via a military coup, has led an extremely repressive authoritarian regime since 1979. Political power and oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of the president’s family. The government often detains […]
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has governed Egypt in an authoritarian manner since July 2013, first as de facto leader post July 2013 coup against the then president Mohammed Morsi and later as elected president post May 2014 presidential election. Meaningful political opposition is more or less non-existent, as expressions of dissent can invite criminal prosecution […]
