By César Antonio Molina
In 1975, the Helsinki Final Act was signed . Its main purpose was to ease Cold War tensions. The Soviets proposed the inviolability of borders, as well as non-interference in internal affairs. The West reiterated its commitment to human rights and freedoms of thought, conscience, opinion, expression, religion, ideas, and beliefs. Solzhenitsyn said that if non-interference were adopted, “it would be the funeral of Eastern Europe.”
Like Russia today, the former USSR did everything possible to violate the agreements. Censorship in these countries became increasingly strict. During this time, figures such as Havel, Walesa, the future Pope John Paul II, Sakharov, Brodsky, Solzhenitsyn himself, and Gorbachev emerged.
Helsinki marked the beginning of the fall of communism, as well as the economic chaos in which the Soviets lived. The last quarter of the 20th century was a golden age of freedom of expression in Western democracies and the newly integrated Eastern European countries.
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The author of this magnificent book, which covers the history of freedom of expression from its origins to the present day—essential reading for journalists, professors, lawyers, and others—is not very optimistic. He concludes with this reflection: “Authoritarian states are well aware of the emancipatory power of freedom of expression and the necessity of censorship to keep the masses under control . Iran, Russia, and China are the most dangerous countries. In democracies, citizens, institutions, and liberal politicians must defend it.”
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Jacob Mchangama is the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. He is also a research professor at Vanderbilt University and a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).