In this chilling yet important conversation, Dávid Vig, director of Amnesty International Hungary, talks about how Viktor Orbán’s government has been using legal tools to dismantle human rights protections and silence dissent, systematically eroding democratic norms. Dávid analyzes the tactics authoritarians use across various geographies -  from smear campaigns targeting LGBTQ activists to deliberate attacks on courts, media, and civil society, and the danger of staying silent.

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Dávid also reflects on the limits of legal action without people power, the importance of staying mission-focused, and the importance of building resilience for the long haul.

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This conversation draws parallels between Hungary and other countries, including the United States, showing how the autocratic playbook has been replicated worldwide.

In this episode of PRECEDENTED, Russian journalist Pavel Kanygin reflects on his journey from field reporter at Novaya Gazeta to exiled media founder. Speaking from Amsterdam, he describes how his independent channel, Prodolzhenie Sleduet (To Be Continued), grew to over a million subscribers after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and why fear and hopelessness are authoritarians’ most powerful tools.

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Kanygin draws striking parallels between Putin’s early years and Donald Trump’s rapid escalation of authoritarian tactics in the U.S., warning that “what Putin did in five years, Trump managed in six weeks.” He urges both journalists and citizens not to repeat Russia’s mistakes of silence and passivity, emphasizing that defending press freedom is inseparable from defending democracy itself.

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Along the way, he reflects on how exile has transformed his journalism — from field reporting to building digital bridges with audiences — and shares both the challenges of survival and his hopes of one day returning to a free Russia.

Pepe Julian Onziema is the Director of Programs at Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), Uganda’s leading LGBTQI+ rights and advocacy organization. The organization and its members have faced ongoing threats and harassment, including being shut down by the government, yet they persist in advocating for the rights and protections of their communities. 

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Pepe reflects on two decades of work as a trans activist in Uganda, sharing how he maintains his motivation in the face of severe repressions – including one of the world’s most draconian anti-LGBTQ laws. He shares a message of perseverance and solidarity, emphasizing that it is the goal of authoritarians to isolate and divide us, and that “we have to keep fighting together.” Watch for advice on working in community, avoiding burnout, and staying safe.

Russian investigative journalist Andrey Zakharov shares an “indie journalist” perspective on creeping authoritarianism and offers practical advice for U.S. media to safeguard their work, establish their own platforms, and navigate an uncertain future.

Andrey is a Russian digital and investigative journalist, whose reporting has uncovered Kremlin-linked troll farms, Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, and the hidden lives of Russian elites. Zakharov has worked for Russia’s leading regional and national outlets, earning four Redkollegiya awards and the Golden Pen Award. In 2021, after being labeled a “foreign agent” and subjected to brazen surveillance, he left Russia. Today, he runs his own Telegram channel, podcast, and YouTube streams, collaborates with independent outlets, and is the author of Crypto: How Cypherpunks, Programmers and Rogues Bound Russia With Blockchain (2023) and the forthcoming The Russian Cyberpunk: How Putin’s State Strives to Control Everyone’s Data – and Why It Fails. Facing criminal charges and being placed on Russia’s wanted list in 2024, Zakharov is one of the most courageous voices in Russian journalism today.

Hella Zsirka is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board Member of the Háttér Society, the oldest and largest LGBTQI+ organization still operating in Hungary. As a trans activist and a queer feminist, she shares a powerful message of hope and perseverance, despite working through an escalation of anti-trans policies in Hungary. Hella describes the impacts of her country’s anti-LGBTQI+ laws and the many ways that one can be an activist, even in seemingly impossible conditions.

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This video was recorded only days before Budapest’s 2025 Pride – which was the largest in Budapest’s history, with hundreds of thousands of people coming out to show their support for the community, despite participation being criminalized by the government. It was proof of Hella’s declaration that “haters are always louder and more aggressive… but there are allies, all over the world, even in the most conservative countries.”

Ekaterina Kotrikadze is the news director and anchor for the independent Russian TV channel Dozhd (TV Rain). The Kremlin shut down TV Rain in 2022, but it has successfully relaunched from Europe and continues to broadcast to Russian-speaking audiences globally. Ekaterina reflects on the systematic destruction of independent media in Russia, what the missed opportunities might have been, and how she perseveres in exile. She has advice directly for U.S. viewers: “Don’t underestimate the autocrat.”

Imara is the founder and CEO of TransLash Media, whose mission is to tell trans stories to save trans lives. An Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, Imara produces content to shift the current culture of hostility towards transgender people in the US. Imara speaks to the extraordinary challenges of US history and of our fragmented media landscape, the essential role of journalists, and why taking risks is essential to protecting our democracy.

Natalia Kaliada is the co-founder and artistic director of the Belarus Free Theatre (BFT) – an underground theater company operating in exile, and the only theater in Europe banned by its government. Founded in 2005, BFT has won numerous awards and has produced 50+ shows for global audiences, at the intersection of art and activism. Natalia shares the critical role of artists in connecting creativity with morality to help us imagine a world beyond authoritarianism.

Preview the voices of PRECEDENTED: a Belarusian theater director, a leading Russian journalist, a Hungarian trans activist, and an American media creator reflect on what it means to live, create, and resist in these precedented times. Hear about their work, what fuels their activism, and how each of us can stand up to authoritarianism.