Freedom House’s new policy brief, Justice in Shackles: The Global Persecution of Judges and Lawyers, documents how repressive governments worldwide are increasingly targeting legal and judicial professionals to undermine the rule of law. Between 2014 and 2024, politicized detention, prosecution, or imprisonment of judges, prosecutors, and especially lawyers occurred in at least 78 of 112 assessed countries, posing a major threat to peace, security, and democracy. The brief highlights that such attacks often coincide with efforts by authoritarian leaders to consolidate power, citing examples like Myanmar, China, Turkey, and Guatemala. Freedom House calls for stronger international support for judicial independence, protection of human rights lawyers, and the strengthening of regional justice mechanisms to defend democracy against autocratic abuse.