About

Democracy in Exile is DAWN's online journal. With a commitment to magnify the voices of political exiles and dissidents, we bring to light anti-democratic practices and human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa and analyze social, political and cultural developments across the region.

In everything we publish, including news, analysis, opinion and interviews, we work to promote a new vision for the future of the Middle East and North Africa, featuring experts on, and exiles from, the region. We also cover issues related to democracy, human rights and the rule of law that otherwise would have been forgotten or overlooked.

Potential contributors can find our submission guidelines here

Frederick Deknatel is the Executive Editor of Democracy in Exile. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of World Politics Review from 2017 to 2021. His writing and reporting on the Middle East have appeared in The Nation, Foreign Policy, The New Republic and The Los Angeles Review of Books, among other publications. He has also been a Staff Editor at Foreign Affairs. You can find his full bio here.

"Is there no other way for us? Must we choose between movie theaters and our rights as citizens to speak out, whether in support of or critical of our government's actions? Do we only voice glowing references to our leader's decisions, his vision of our future, in exchange for the right to live and travel freely — for ourselves and our wives, husbands and children too? …"

- Jamal KhashogGI, Washington Post, May 21, 2018

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