Political imprisonment refers to the incarceration of people by government officials because of their
speech; their non-violent opposition to government policies or leaders; their religious beliefs; their non-violent religious practices including proselytizing; or their membership in a group, including an ethnic or racial group. Sometimes reports refer to “prisoners of conscience”; someone who was imprisoned because of his or her beliefs. Prisoners of conscience include those who are imprisoned due to their political and/or religious beliefs or practices. Reports sometimes make distinctions between political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, but for our purposes they are the same. Be aware that in many instances political prisoners are classified as terrorists and threats to national security by governments, which routinely apply the label "terrorist" to all opposition movements.
Scoring Scheme:
Are people imprisoned because of their political, religious, or other beliefs?
(0) Yes, and many
(1) Yes, but few
(2) None / None Reported
Type of variable: Categorical
Downloaded by QoG on: 2023-08-29 Last updated by source: 2023-08-27