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Browse resources on authoritarian sharp power and its effects on the integrity of institutions and globalized spaces.

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Source: Jerusalem Post

Publication Date: September 29, 2023

Sweden Accuses Iran of Targeted ‘Misinformation’ about Quran Burnings

Authoritarian Country: Iran, Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Sweden

Author: Seth J. Frantzman

View Resource: Sweden Accuses Iran of Targeted ‘Misinformation’ about Quran Burnings

Iran and Russia-backed disinformation campaigns have used recent Quran burnings to manipulate sentiments in Sweden. Fearing the effects of these malign efforts, the Swedish government has tasked its Agency for Psychological Defense with countering these campaigns.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Publication Date: September 28, 2023

How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Global

View Resource: How the People’s Republic of China Seeks to Reshape the Global Information Environment

The PRC has sought to shape the global information landscape in its favor through information manipulation, intimidation, co-opting journalists and enabling digital authoritarianism with cutting-edge technology.

Source: Center for European Policy Analysis

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Moldova’s President Calls Out Russian Meddling

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Europe, Moldova

Author: Ahshish Kumar Sen

View Resource: Moldova’s President Calls Out Russian Meddling

Moldova has sought support of the EU and international community to safeguard its democratic processes against Russian subversion. Russian tactics include election interference, disinformation, and economic blackmail.

Source: Foreign Policy Research Institute

Publication Date: September 19, 2023

China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Politics Over Economics

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Global

Author: Felix K. Chang

View Resource: China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Politics Over Economics

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been expected to enter a new phase following the PRC’s Third BRI Forum in October 2023. With over 150 countries participating in the BRI, China’s plans for its signature initiative have appeared increasingly political and less focused on infrastructure development.

Source: Power 3.0

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

Taiwan on the Frontline of China’s Information Operations

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Taiwan

Author: Ko Shu-Ling

View Resource: Taiwan on the Frontline of China’s Information Operations

Within Taiwan, PRC-backed media outlets have discredited pro-independence perspectives and increased polarization through disinformation. Beijing has relied on its state agencies, Taiwanese provincial governments, commercial media, and social media to amplify these information manipulation operations.

Source: Middle East Institute

Publication Date: September 3, 2023

Iran Gleefully Eyes the Protests in Israel, Looking for Weaknesses to Exploit

Authoritarian Country: Iran

Affected Region: Middle East and North Africa, Israel

Author: Jason M. Brodsky

View Resource: Iran Gleefully Eyes the Protests in Israel, Looking for Weaknesses to Exploit

In addition to violent intervention through proxy militia groups, Iran has used cyber interference to exacerbate political rifts in Israeli society and advance Iranian interests. Iran-backed disinformation campaigns have misled high-level officials and target Israelis across the political spectrum.

Source: Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Publication Date: October 31, 2023

HispanTV Is Iran’s Propaganda Arm in Latin America; Why Is It Still Being Broadcast?

Authoritarian Country: Iran

Affected Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

Author: Emanuele Ottolenghi, Marina Rosenberg

View Resource: HispanTV Is Iran’s Propaganda Arm in Latin America; Why Is It Still Being Broadcast?

HispanTV, Iran’s Spanish-language media outlet, has spread disinformation to influence global narratives surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. The state of Iran has used HispanTV as a platform to defend Hamas, espouse antisemitic rhetoric, and glorify violence.

Source: United States Institute of Peace

Publication Date: October 27, 2023

Russian Influence Campaigns in Latin America

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica, Latin America and the Caribbean, Argentina, Brazil, Chile

Author: Douglas Farah and Román D. Ortiz

View Resource: Russian Influence Campaigns in Latin America

Since 2013, Russia has sought to undermine U.S. influence in Latin America through strategic investments and an elaborate information ecosystem, involving local institutions, media, and civil society. Persistent anti-U.S. and antidemocratic messaging are main features of the information operations.

Source: The Times

Publication Date: October 21, 2023

How Iran is Spreading Disinformation in Britain

Authoritarian Country: Iran

Affected Region: Europe, United Kingdom

Author: Fiona Hamilton, Tom Witherow

View Resource: How Iran is Spreading Disinformation in Britain

Iran has mobilized British elites, academic institutions, and social media to influence Britain’s information ecosystem surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Source: The Diplomat

Publication Date: October 18, 2023

Indonesia, China Vow to Expand Economic Cooperation

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Indonesia

Author: Sebastian Strangio

View Resource: Indonesia, China Vow to Expand Economic Cooperation

The third Belt and Road Forum, in October 2023, demonstrated that many Southeast Asian leaders see China as the key to their nations’ prosperity, helping them to build infrastructure and adopt new technologies. That dependence may discourage leaders from challenging China’s anti-democratic rhetoric.

Source: New York Times

Publication Date: October 12, 2018

Museums Forced to Reassess Saudi Ties Amid Uproar Over Journalist’s Fate

Authoritarian Country: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Affected Region: North America, United States

Author: Robin Pogrebin, Sopan Deb

View Resource: Museums Forced to Reassess Saudi Ties Amid Uproar Over Journalist’s Fate

Prominent New York museums have accepted funding from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi governments, even after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and despite labor concerns in the UAE. Most museums maintained these relationships after the murder, allowing the regimes’ influence to persist unchecked.

Source: Power 3.0

Publication Date: November 21, 2023

Nepravada! Untrue! Kremlin Narratives and Social Media in Central Europe

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Poland, Europe, Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia

Author: Logan Petkosek

View Resource: Nepravada! Untrue! Kremlin Narratives and Social Media in Central Europe

Russia has sought to reduce public support for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine in Central Europe through state-sponsored media outlets and social media operations. Despite the varying levels of effectiveness, this has resulted in a sharp decline in support for Ukraine in Slovakia since 2022.

Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Publication Date: November 2, 2022

Documents Reveal Wagner’s Golden Ties to Sudanese Military Companies

Authoritarian Country: Russia

Affected Region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan

Author: Khadija Sharife, Lara Dihmis, Erin Klazar

View Resource: Documents Reveal Wagner’s Golden Ties to Sudanese Military Companies

Companies linked to Russia’s Wagner Group have maintained and expanded their influence in Sudan’s gold mining sector through a partnership with local military companies. In exchange for weapons and advisors, Wagner was given gold and mining rights, not subject to Western sanctions.

Source: The Diplomat

Publication Date: November 16, 2023

China’s Expanding Health Diplomacy in Indonesia

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Asia-Pacific, Indonesia

Author: Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Yeta Purnama

View Resource: China’s Expanding Health Diplomacy in Indonesia

While the Chinese and Indonesian government began cooperating during the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccine distribution, Beijing has recently increased its investment in Indonesia’s health sector to push back against negative perceptions of China among a majority of Indonesians.

Source: China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe

Publication Date: May 4, 2022

Backing Russia on Ukraine: China’s Messaging in Central and Eastern Europe

Authoritarian Country: China

Affected Region: Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, Europe, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary

Author: Ivana Karásková et. al.

View Resource: Backing Russia on Ukraine: China’s Messaging in Central and Eastern Europe

PRC embassies and state-affiliated media have been promoting anti-NATO and pro-Russian narratives in nine Central and Eastern European states. The messaging is centered upon the war in Ukraine, seeking to undermine the United States, European Union, and NATO while building support for China and Russia.