Dissident

Dissident link (Word)
Opposition in other places, never at home

A dissident is a term for a person who has a different opinion and/or opposes the established policy or structure of a society or a state. The dissident remains in the country instead of leaving the country in exile.

In Western corporate media, this positive label is never used on actual dissidents at home, who are ignored or vilified, but only on people in other places (see Wikipedia for examples of usage).

When dissidents are persecuted, it is normally under other pretexts, to hide the political motivation.

Dissidents in other countries are often given open and covert support. For example, during the Cold War the most famous dissidents in Communist Eastern Europe were covertly given wads of dollars or Swiss bank accounts, a practice that has continued in the decades since through use of NGOs, award money and grants.