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A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government. The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in Armed forces or otherwise violent rebellion.
People who are described as "freedom fighters" are often also referenced as , rebellion, insurgents, or terrorism. This leads to the aphorism "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". The degree to which this occurs depends on a variety of factors specific to the struggle in which a given freedom fighter group in engaged. During the Cold War, freedom fighter was first used with reference to the Hungarian rebels in 1956.
A freedom fighter is different from a mercenary as they gain no direct material benefit from being involved in a conflict, though they may have no personal reason for being involved. Thus they are not considered mercenaries under the Geneva Convention and thus may in certain circumstances be protected by it (Mercenaries are not protected under the Geneva Convention and can be tried as criminals). In the media, the BBC tries to avoid the phrases "terrorist" or "freedom fighter", except in attributed quotes, in favor of more neutral terms such as "Insurgent", "guerrilla", "assassin", "insurgent", "Rebellion", "paramilitary", or "militia".
(1994). 9780815730606, Brookings Institution. ISBN 9780815730606 Ronald Reagan picked up the term to explain Reagan Doctrine of rebels in countries controlled by or otherwise perceived to be under the influence of the Soviet Union, including the Contras in Nicaragua, UNITA in Angola and the multi-factional mujahideen in Afghanistan.
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