War on Dissent

The Play

Authoritarians deploy multiple tactics to suppress opposition and neutralize civil society threats to their power. They limit these groups' influence by restricting resources, engineering defections, controlling information, launching personal attacks—mostly verbal but sometimes physical—and abusing litigation.

New authoritarians delegitimize independent voices by attacking their credibility, framing them as enemies of the national interest, and undermining their moral standing. To emotionally break opponents, they expose personal details and target families or social circles, sending a broader message to instill fear and deter dissent.

By making a few high-profile examples, authoritarians create a climate of fear-driven self-censorship. Opponents internalize the risks of resistance and dissent, leading many to stay silent even when others are targeted.

What does it look like?

1. Opposition restrain

In restraining opposition, authoritarians employ several tactics:

• Administrative and financial pressure: targeting vulnerable organizations with the use of regulations that make day-to-day administration more complex, including regular audits and donor and beneficiary information, and impeding their long-term sustainability and scalability by forcing these groups to concentrate their limited resources towards compliance with the regulations.
• Repressive legislation: including "foreign agent laws," these are often deployed by the state to attack the financial viability of their opponents and overburden them with red tape that impedes their ability to function.
• Engineering defections & co-opting: by using a combination of carrots (bribes, easing of legal pressures, making offers relating to enhanced power and stature) and sticks (intimidation and pressurizing through both legal and non-legal routes like blackmail and the deployment of legal and enforcement agencies under their control) authoritarians often try to fragment and break up opposition groups, particularly when such groups seek to come together and forge alliances.
• Abusive use of litigation: court cases and litigation are other tools used to pressure the capabilities of opposition parties and civil society organizations, forcing them to relocate their resources to fight these cases. The impact of this tactic is often exacerbated by the state's disproportionate influence over judicial decisions and delays in reaching verdicts.
• Building a coalition against the enemies: with the aim to undermine and attack these groups, often, these coalitions are assembled with stakeholders who hail from a similar background –certain sectors of the civil society landscape or the media— to attack their compatriots. When faced with a challenge from within their own domain, these groups often lose the public perception battle and face further erosion of their day-to-day viability.

2. Political delegitimization of opponents

In delegitimizing opposition, authoritarians employ several tactics:

• Narrative, portraying them as groups working against popular aspirations, typically representing them as actors working at the behest and reporting to foreign interests, elites not in sync with or representative of the masses. The narrative is that they are partisan actors seeking to further their political interests. Often when confronted with topics that are otherwise common interests, these groups struggle to fight back and win public support.
• Trolling, deploying their supporters, often organized in digital squads, to amplify the narrative that their opponents are actively seeking to undermine the interests of their nations. The focus of these attacks often uses disinformation and fake news to portray opponents as part of a cabal working in nexus with antagonistic elements, including foreign interests, with the underlying aim of attacking the prosperity of the state.
• Controlling information, often using (and dominating) both traditional and digital media to further narratives spun by authoritarians, leaving little or no room for these groups to present their side of the story.

3. Defamation

Authoritarians engage in character defamation to discredit opposition leaders and undermine their moral standing. To accomplish this, they reveal or fabricate scandals to damage the reputation of opposition figures, focusing on alleged unethical behavior, financial misconduct, or personal vices. By attacking private lives or personal relationships, authoritarians aim to erode public trust and caricature these individuals as unfit to represent the people. The goal is to tarnish their image so thoroughly that their credibility is irreparably damaged in the eyes of the public.

4. Physical persecution

In some cases, authoritarians escalate their tactics by directly targeting opposition figures and civil society leaders with physical attacks. These actions may range from intimidation and harassment by security forces or unofficial paramilitary groups to more severe measures, like unlawful arrests and even extrajudicial killings. These attacks are often carried out under the guise of maintaining "public order" or fighting "terrorism". Thus, the regime sends a chilling message to both opposition leaders and their supporters.

5. Elimination

Authoritarian leaders leverage legal and law enforcement mechanisms to clamp down on civil society and opposition leaders, accelerating intimidation and pressure tactics, including placing them under arrest, suspending licenses to carry out activities, and their ability to continue functioning in the public domain.

Who's done it?

Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko

Portraying Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a 'Foreign Agent'

After challenging Lukashenko's regime in the 2020 presidential election, which observers claim was rigged in favor of the President, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became the focus of a state-run smear campaign. Belarusian authorities and pro-government media accused her of being a puppet of foreign governments attempting to destabilize Belarus. The regime also tried to discredit her as inexperienced and unfit for leadership, while framing her movement as advocates for extreme measures​ and dangerous to national stability. Tsikhanouskaya had to flee the country, and once in exile she was sentenced to 15 years in absentia.

"Differentiate between real politicians, the real opposition, and wooden puppets. You can't lead the country by appearing out of nowhere. (...) [These] unfortunate girls don't understand what they're talking about or what they're doing. But we see who is behind them".

Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro

Framing Leopoldo López as a 'Terrorist'

In 2014, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López was arrested for his role in anti-government protests against Nicolás Maduro. A vocal critic of Maduro's authoritarianism, López faced politically motivated charges, including incitement and terrorism, which led to a nearly 14-year prison sentence. While in prison, he endured isolation, psychological abuse, and mistreatment in a military facility before being placed under house arrest for health reasons. He eventually escaped in April 2019. His case exemplifies Maduro's strategy of criminalizing dissent, using severe personal consequences to intimidate and silence opposition.

"Venezuela is a victim of aggression by fascist right-wing gangs against society and the people. Rest assured, we will defeat them (...) Venezuela has the right and the duty to defend itself from these fascist gangs outside the law. We will defeat all these gangs."

Thailand: Thai Junta

Abusive Litigation

The ruling party and military have used courts to suppress opposition. A key case was the 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that dissolved the Future Forward Party over an alleged illegal loan, removing a major political threat. Opposition leaders, including Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Pita Limjaroenrat, have been banned from politics over media shareholding claims. Sedition and lèse-majesté laws— which criminalize insults or defamation against the monarchy—have also been used to jail critics. These tactics have severely weakened the opposition and reinforced the military's grip on power.

The Thai Constitutional Court has dissolved or banned over 100 political parties on charges of electoral violations

Uganda: Yoweri Museveni

Transnational Repression

For Museveni, repression of dissent knows no borders. In November 2024, prominent opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Days later, he reappeared in Uganda, facing charges before a military court under Museveni's orders.

"Romans 1:32 states: 'Though they know God's righteous judgment—that those who practice such things deserve death—not only do they continue to do them, but they also approve of those who practice them'"

India: Narendra Modi

Institutionalized Suppression

Under Prime Minister Modi, the Indian government has employed a multi-pronged strategy to silence dissent and suppress political opposition. Laws originally designed for counterterrorism, such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sedition laws, have been weaponized to detain activists and opposition figures without trial. Those accused face criminal charges without due process, often left in legal limbo for extended periods. In fact, only 2% of those charged are convicted, while 97.2% are eventually acquitted—after spending years in jail.

Other laws, like the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), have crippled civil society, particularly organizations reliant on foreign funding. Media censorship laws have also been used to target independent and critical journalists. Beyond the judiciary, state agencies—including the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation—have been weaponized to pressure political opponents. Conveniently, cases against opposition leaders are often dropped once they switch political allegiance.

Under Prime Minister Modi:

• 20,000+ NGOs have had their permits to receive foreign funding revoked.
• 8,719+ cases have been filed against activists and dissidents under (UAPA).
• 805 internet shutdowns have been enforced.
• 121 political leaders—95% from the opposition—have been investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

What can democrats learn?

1. Multifaceted Strategies Require a Comprehensive Response

Authoritarians use a combination of tactics —legal, financial, and narrative-based— to weaken the opposition systematically. Developing dedicated counter-strategies for each of these tactics is something democrats must focus on, as it becomes imperative to protect themselves from the multifaceted approach that characterizes all authoritarians.

2. Build Organizational Resilience

Preparing in advance, through the development of alternative leadership structures, financing models, legal readiness, communications backups, and digital security fortification, can help groups adapt to challenges and ensure their ability to function even in the face of repressive efforts.

3. The Importance of Building Civil Society Coalitions

Authoritarians often co-opt segments of civil society and media to delegitimize independent voices. This can be particularly damaging to opposition credibility, but can be fought back through the development of transpartisan coalitions that can be used both as solidarity and support networks and pushback against efforts to dent the credibility of opposition voices.

4. Deconstruct the Narrative of Transparency

Authoritarians co-opt the rhetoric of transparency and anti-corruption to delegitimize opposition, framing it as corrupt or foreign-influenced. Developing counter-narratives that expose the real motivations behind authoritarian efforts and repeal the disinformation ecosystem employed by those authoritarians in power can help counter such efforts.

5. Protect Critical Voices

Authoritarian leaders want to silence the most vocal and influential critics from the civil society, the media, or the political opposition. Protecting these critical voices is essential in order to preserve the democratic discourse. To counter these authoritarian tactics, it is crucial to establish legal, financial, and communication support networks that can help safeguard individuals and organizations under threat. This may involve providing legal defense against unjust litigation, securing safe channels for whistleblowers, and ensuring that independent journalists and opposition leaders can access platforms to amplify their voices.

6. Build International Solidarity Networks

International solidarity networks are crucial for protecting civil society, opposition politicians, and activists under authoritarian rule. These networks connect dissidents, journalists, and organizations across borders to share resources, amplify voices, and coordinate advocacy. You must partner with human rights groups, independent media, and democratic governments as it provides visibility, protection, and diplomatic support. Diaspora communities and exiled opposition figures are also key in applying international pressure, organizing campaigns, and lobbying institutions. Strengthening cross-border alliances ensures that when authoritarians try to isolate your organizations, their voices reach the world—turning local struggles into global causes.

Learn more

• Applebaum, Anne. 2024. "Autocracy, Inc."
• Franz, Erica. 2018. "Authoritarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know."
• Guriev, Serge & Daniel Treisman. 2022. "Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century."
• Protect Democracy. 2022. "The Authoritarian Playbook."

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