Im Fadenkreuz der Machthaber

A wave of authoritarianism is currently spreading from East to West, attacking civil society and with it a fundamental pillar of democracy. NGOs are portrayed by governments as an open door for the unwelcome influence of foreign powers. Countries across all continents are affected, regardless of their form of government. "Agents of Democracy: Civil Society Under Attack” documents this global phenomenon through the examples of India, Russia and Poland, and depicts the increasing suppression of civil society along with the implications this has for the future of the democratic idea.

In nations governed by populists and autocrats, civil liberties are coming under pressure. However, activists are no longer simply attacked or arrested: laws now criminalise them and deprive them of funding. Non-governmental organisations and other civil society actors who fight for democracy and human rights and are active against social injustices and environmental destruction are increasingly becoming targets of defamation campaigns, repression and criminalisation.

Are we witnessing a global, direct attack on civil society? And what happens when the "raw material of democracy” – civil society – is silenced? What can be done to counter this development? Director Sebastian Weis’ film explores this question and reports on the situation in India, Russia and Poland in chapter form. Each country exemplifies an overarching theme: environmental destruction in India, human rights in Russia and women’s rights in Poland.