The Dissident's Mic

Human Rights Foundation
Human Rights Foundation
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The Dissident's Mic is a two-person interview series featuring timely, in-depth conversations about authoritarianism around the world. Hosted by Casey Michel, director of HRF's Combatting Kleptocracy program and a proud member of Putin's "blacklist," and Chelsea Hedquist, head of communications strategy at HRF. Each episode is driven by a central compelling question and grounded in the firsthand experiences of dissidents resisting authoritarian power.

Episodes

  1. 1 day ago

    Are We Wearing the Products of Modern Slavery?

    Could the clothes we wear, the food we buy, or the products we use every day be connected to forced labor? In this episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Uyghur human rights advocate Jewher Ilham joins us to discuss how forced labor in China has become embedded in global supply chains, why companies often struggle or fail to trace where their products come from, and what governments, corporations, and consumers can do about it. Jewher also shares the story of her father, Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, who is serving a life sentence in China, and reflects on how her advocacy has shaped her own connection to Uyghur culture and identity. Watch the full conversation to learn more about Uyghur forced labor, corporate responsibility, and the fight to preserve a culture and people facing genocide.

    Are We Wearing the Products of Modern Slavery?

  2. 19 Aug

    How Do Governments Use Sports to Launder Money?

    In this episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Casey Michel, director of HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy Program, sits down with Equatoguinean human rights lawyer and EG Justice Executive Director Tutu Alicante to discuss how authoritarian regimes use sports to launder their reputations, what soccer corruption reveals about the broader kleptocracy in Equatorial Guinea, and why players, journalists, and fans can still play a role in holding these networks accountable.

    How Do Governments Use Sports to Launder Money?

  3. 22 Jul

    What Happens When You Run Against a Dictator?

    Félix Maradiaga knew Daniel Ortega would never allow a free and fair election in Nicaragua. He ran anyway. In 2021, the former presidential candidate challenged Ortega’s dictatorship to expose the regime’s sham election to the world. Instead, he was arrested, tortured, imprisoned for 611 days, and ultimately stripped of his citizenship. In this episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Casey Michel, Director of HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy Program, sits down with Nicaraguan political activist Félix Maradiaga to discuss his time as a political prisoner, why authoritarian regimes are increasingly working together to suppress dissent, and what gives him hope that democracy can still prevail.

    What Happens When You Run Against a Dictator?
  • 3 Episodes

About

The Dissident's Mic is a two-person interview series featuring timely, in-depth conversations about authoritarianism around the world. Hosted by Casey Michel, director of HRF's Combatting Kleptocracy program and a proud member of Putin's "blacklist," and Chelsea Hedquist, head of communications strategy at HRF. Each episode is driven by a central compelling question and grounded in the firsthand experiences of dissidents resisting authoritarian power.

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