Freedom House is pleased to announce that Charles Dunne has joined the organization as the new head of its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) programs.

Freedom House welcomes President Obama's upcoming address on the 'Arab Spring' and its implications for the future of US policy in the Middle East. This is an opportunity for the President to lay out a clear, proactive agenda in support of democracy in the region that builds upon the vision he presented in his Cairo speech in June 2009 and that Secretary Clinton elaborated in Doha in January.

Freedom House commends President Obama on his speech concerning political upheaval in the Middle East and U.S. policy toward the region, delivered today at the State Department. In his address, the President detailed a forceful agenda based on longstanding American values and interests, articulated a solid set of principles to guide US policy, and emphatically aligned the United States with the vast majority of people throughout the Middle East who are striving for basic freedoms.

Freedom House calls upon members of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to prioritize the domestic human rights records of candidate countries, as well as the candidates' voting records on human rights issues at the UN, when casting ballots for the UN Human Rights Council elections on Friday. Additionally, Freedom House calls for regional groups to support competitive slates in future Council elections.

Freedom House is deeply concerned about the passing of a constitutional referendum in Ecuador that will give President Correa undue influence over the country's media, as well as its judiciary.

Freedom House urges the European Union to adopt economic sanctions against Belarus strongman Aleksander Lukashenka when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday. The deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus demands strong and urgent action by the EU and United States beyond the visa ban and asset freeze imposed on January 31.

One year into Viktor Yanukovych's presidency, Ukraine has experienced a disturbing decline in democratic practices and human rights that, if unchecked, threatens a return to the authoritarianism of the country's pre-Orange Revolution period, according to a special report -- Sounding the Alarm: Protecting Democracy in Ukraine -- released today by Freedom House.

Freedom House commends the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for passing a resolution today at a special session on Syria calling for an investigation of human rights abuses in that country, including the deaths of hundreds of Syrian civilians at the hands of the government.

Cyberattacks, politically motivated censorship, and government control over internet infrastructure are among the diverse and growing threats to internet freedom, according to Freedom on the Net 2011: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media,a new study released today by Freedom House.

Freedom House calls for decisive international action to prevent further brutality by the al-Assad regime against the Syrian people, including special sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council and Security Council passage of tough sanctions against the regime.

Freedom House strongly condemns the crackdown on journalists and blocking of access to social media sites by the Ugandan government during recent unrest. Ugandan authorities should use restraint against protesters and ensure the rights of journalists, and all Ugandan citizens, to freedom of expression.