Japan is not a Western democracy. The Japanese have kept their traditions, culture and heritage, but they have joined the community of free nations.

- Natan Sharansky

Free societies are societies in which the right of dissent is protected.

- Natan Sharansky

In dictatorships you need courage to fight evil; in the free world you need courage to see evil.

- Natan Sharansky

My optimism is not based primarily on the successful march of democracy in recent times but rather is based on the experience of having lived in a fe…

- Natan Sharansky

The two most important things that can be done to promote democracy in the world is first, to bring moral clarity back to world affairs and second, t…

- Natan Sharansky

When we are unwilling to draw clear moral lines between free societies and fear societies, when we are unwilling to call the former good and the latt…

- Natan Sharansky

Can someone within that society walk into the town square and say what they want without fear of being punished for his or her views? If so, then tha…

- Natan Sharansky

When a man is afraid and accedes to fear, he will always find arguments to justify his own surrender.

- Natan Sharansky

Non-democratic regimes always need to mobilize their people against external enemies in order to maintain internal stability.

- Natan Sharansky