The cancellation of RightsCon by Zambian authorities—reportedly in response to Chinese government pressure—is not an act of transnational repression (TNR), but it achieves goals of TNR such as discouraging free expression and bullying activists.
Access Now, the group that organizes RightsCon, says Zambian officials asked it to exclude Taiwanese participants if it wanted the event to proceed as planned.
The Zambian government’s decision to postpone RightsCon 2026, effectively canceling the summit, raises concerns about the authorities’ commitment to free expression and assembly and about possible Chinese government interference.
RightsCon, one of the world's largest digital human rights conferences, was suddenly postponed by Zambia's government just days before it was scheduled to begin in Lusaka.…
