Commentary
Saskia Brechenmacher, Shreya Joshi
{
"authors": [
"Saskia Brechenmacher"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"Democracy and Governance"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "democracy",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "DCG",
"programs": [
"Democracy, Conflict, and Governance"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Egypt",
"Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa",
"Russia"
],
"topics": [
"Democracy",
"Civil Society"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
On Civil Society Under Attack
Governments are increasingly taking steps to shrink civil space and restrict the operations of civil society organizations. Both local operators and international actors must consider a response.
Published on Aug 30, 2017
Source: ESAT Ethiopia
Speaking on ESAT Ethiopia, Carnegie’s Saskia Brechenmacher discussed the government-led attacks on the civil society sector in Russia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. She outlined how leaders like Vladimir Putin have used both legal and extralegal methods to restrict civil liberties with the aim of curbing domestic dissent. Within Ethiopia, she added, the government has ignored constitutionally-enshrined rights to free speech while violently targeting protestors.
About the Author
Saskia Brechenmacher
Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
Saskia Brechenmacher is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, where her research focuses on democratic erosion, gender, and civic activism in the United States and globally. She also serves on the board of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law.
- Protests Like No Kings Can Only Go So Far to Stem Authoritarianism
- Africa’s Democratic Kaleidoscope: Trends to Watch in 2026Article
Saskia Brechenmacher, Frances Z. Brown
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
- When Football Is More Than FootballCommentary
The recent African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco touched on issues that largely transcended the sport.
Issam Kayssi, Yasmine Zarhloule
- Iran’s Woes Aren’t Only DomesticCommentary
The country’s leadership is increasingly uneasy about multiple challenges from the Levant to the South Caucasus.
Armenak Tokmajyan
- Rethinking Power-Sharing Agreements in LibyaArticle
The UN Support Mission in the country should reassess its approach so that consensus between the warring parties becomes the eventual goal, rather than a procedural matter that dogs the negotiating process at every turn.
Soraya Rahem
- Has Sisi Found a Competent Military Entrepreneur?Commentary
Mustaqbal Misr has expanded its portfolio with remarkable speed, but a lack of transparency remains.
Yezid Sayigh
- Women, Water, and Adaptation in Ait KhabbashCommentary
The burden of environmental degradation is felt not only through physical labor but also emotional and social loss.
Yasmine Zarhloule, Ella Williams
