Town square test
Town square test is a threshold test for a free society proposed by a former Soviet dissident and human rights activist Natan Sharansky, now a notable politician in Israel.
In his book The Case for Democracy, published in 2004, Sharansky explains the term: "If a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society. We cannot rest until every person living in a 'fear society' has finally won their freedom."[1]
Usage
The test became famous after George W. Bush endorsed the book[2] and Condoleezza Rice referenced it to characterize "a fear society" in her prepared remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 18, 2005:
The world should apply what Natan Sharansky calls the "town square test": if a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society. We cannot rest until every person living in a "fear society" has finally won their freedom.[3]
Rice went on to identify Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Zimbabwe as examples of outposts of tyranny.[3]
The case of Luis Robles Elizástigui and the "Town Square Test" in Cuba
Luis Robles Elizástigui,[4] referred to as "the Young Man with the Sign,"[5] is a Cuban citizen notable for his arrest and imprisonment following a peaceful protest in Havana on December 4, 2020.[6] His case has been cited [7][8] [9] [10] as an example of Natan Sharansky's "Town Square Test," which posits that a society is a "fear society" if individuals cannot express their opinions publicly without facing arrest or harm. Robles was detained after standing on San Rafael Boulevard holding a sign demanding freedom and the release of imprisoned artist Denis Solís. He was later sentenced to five years in prison.[11]
Robles' case has garnered significant attention from human rights organizations and media. Amnesty International designated him a prisoner of conscience,[12] stating that his imprisonment stemmed solely from peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch classified him as a political prisoner,[13] and characterized his detention as politically motivated. Robles' family said he was subjected to "humiliating treatment" in prison.[14]
See also
References
- ^ Sharansky, Natan; Dermer, Ron (2006), The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, Balfour Books, pp. 40–41, ISBN 978-0-89221-644-4
- ^ "My Sharansky" by Chris Suellentrop
- ^ a b
"Archived copy" (PDF). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-25. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Luis Robles Elizástigui". Prisoners Defenders (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Cuban regime releases political prisoner Luis Robles". CiberCuba. 2025-01-16. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ cfcadmin (2024-12-25). "CubaBrief: There are over 3,067 political prisoners in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela today. On Christmas Eve remember those innocents jailed for exercising their rights to advocate for freedom". Cuba Center. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Our Moral Debt to Luis Robles, sentenced to 5 years in prison". Democratic Spaces. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ Jurídico, elTOQUE (2021-12-09). "Cuba: Luis Robles, a Year in Jail with No Trial or Sentence". elTOQUE. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Human Rights Watch demands the release of Cuban Luis Robles". CiberCuba. 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Policía política amenaza al preso político Luis Robles por denuncias de su madre". ADN Cuba (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Condenan a Luis Robles a cinco años de prisión". CiberCuba (in Spanish). 2022-03-30. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Cuba: Amnesty declares four new prisoners of conscience in midst of new wave of state repression". www.amnesty.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ "Cuba: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ^ Lima, Lioman. "Quién es Luis Robles, el joven que lleva preso casi cuatro meses en Cuba por pararse en una calle con un cartel". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-25.