February 29, 2024

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NEW REPORT: Freedom in Eurasia Declined in 2023 amid the Azerbaijani Regime’s Conquest of Nagorno-Karabakh

The latest edition of Freedom in the World recorded score drops in 5 of the region’s countries.

WASHINGTON—Freedom experienced a staggering decline in Eurasia in 2023, driven largely by the Azerbaijani regime’s conquest of Nagorno-Karabakh and the expulsion of its ethnic Armenian population, as well as deepening authoritarian repression within Russia during the second year of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a new report released today by Freedom House.

The new report, Freedom in the World 2024: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict, found that global freedom declined for an 18th consecutive year in 2023 as political rights and civil liberties deteriorated in 52 countries, representing a fifth of the world’s population. The declines were both widespread and severe, eclipsing the improvements observed in 21 other countries.

Repressive governments across the region followed Moscow’s lead by proposing or enacting laws that labeled independent media outlets and civil society organizations as “foreign agents.” In early 2023, the government of Georgia attempted to pass a bill that would have significantly undermined freedoms of association and expression. The draft bill was rescinded following massive public demonstrations by its opponents, though ruling party lawmakers indicated that the legislation could be resubmitted following public consultation. While Eurasia remained dominated by Not Free countries in 2023, with none rated Free, democratic forces in several Partly Free settings made efforts to resist authoritarian pressure during the year.

Freedom in the World includes scores and detailed country reports on political rights and civil liberties for 195 countries and 15 territories around the globe. Scores are based on a 100-point scale, with 0 representing the lowest level of freedom. This report, the 51st annual edition, covers developments in 2023 and provides a brief analysis of long-term trends.

Key regional findings include the following:

• Overall, freedom in the region declined as 5 countries recorded score declines, and 0 countries registered improvements.
• Nagorno-Karabakh suffered the report’s largest score decline (−40 points), due to the Azerbaijani regime’s military takeover of the territory.
• Moldova (61), Georgia (58), and Armenia (54) have the highest scores in the region.
• Azerbaijan (7), Tajikistan (5), and Turkmenistan (2) are the lowest rated countries in the region.
• Zero percent of people in the region live in Free countries, 16 percent live in Partly Free countries, and 84 percent live in Not Free countries.

The report identifies a number of steps that democratic governments can take to protect and expand political rights and civil liberties around the globe. The recommendations include:

• Provide steady support and flexible funding to those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny. Democratic governments and donors must increase and sustain support for those working to defend and promote fundamental freedoms around the world. Failure to do so emboldens autocrats and can result in the loss of hard-won progress.
• Uphold the rights of people living in disputed territories. The events of the past year in places such as Nagorno-Karabakh and the Gaza Strip provided stark evidence that populations without self-determination are at greater risk of extreme human rights abuses or atrocities.
• Protect free and fair elections in 2024. At least 40 countries—representing more than two-fifths of the world’s population—are holding national-level elections in 2024, with many more conducting other types of balloting. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy, and independent and transparent electoral processes are necessary to foster genuine competition and public trust.