COMMENTARY_ Democracy under siege by authoritarian regimes worldwide

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Democracy under siege by authoritarian regimes worldwide

Rising threats in South Korea, Hong Kong, Myanmar and beyond

China, Russia, Iran and North Korea targeting America illustration by Greg Groesch / The Washington Times more >

COMMENTARY

By Joseph R. DeTrani - Tuesday, February 18, 2025

OPINION: 


Based on my numerous assignments abroad, my work for CIA Director William Casey as his special assistant and my subsequent work as a negotiator with North Korea, I have concluded that authoritarianism is on the move and democracy is under siege.

Iran

The 1979 Islamic Revolution was a bloody overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty and the imprisonment of more than 50 American hostages from the U.S. Embassy. The Iranian people had struggled for a democracy, but what they tragically got was an oppressive theocracy with the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, currently retaining absolute power.

The Green Movement of 2009 was a spontaneous cry for democratization in Iran, brutally suppressed by the state’s security forces. The 2022 killing of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police for the improper wearing of her headscarf resulted in thousands of protesters demanding greater freedoms: “Women, life, freedom” from an oppressive regime. The theocracy in Iran persists and destabilizes the region by supporting proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, all terrorist groups aiming to destroy Israel.

Hong Kong

On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong reverted to China from the United Kingdom under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Hong Kong was to remain autonomous until 2049, governed by its constitution, the basic law, which ensured an independent judiciary, multiple political parties, and freedoms of assembly and speech. In 2020, China imposed the national security law on Hong Kong, criminalizing any act of secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces. Since then, hundreds of protesters and opposition lawmakers have been arrested, stifling free speech and assembly. Pro-democracy demonstrations have ended since the imposition of the national security law.

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READ MORE: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/18/democracy-siege-authoritarian-regimes-worldwide/

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