Global freedom has been in decline for nearly two decades, according to Freedom House, an American non-profit organization devoted to supporting democracy around the world.
That means the role of high-profile freedom activists, including activists in exile — people who are displaced from their countries of origin due to their activism but continue to affect change through various means — has become ever more crucial.
A recent incident involving Alexander Lapshin, a Soviet-born Israeli travel journalist turned human rights advocate, at Armenia’s Yerevan airport highlights the ongoing persecution faced by activists even in seemingly secure environments.
