Transnational repression: in a world without refuge, repressive states are cooperating to silence exiles

[hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org]

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As authoritarianism expands, more activists are being forced into exile, but repression is following them. Repressive states are reaching across borders to silence critics who’ve fled. Tactics continue to evolve, with recent instances of states outsourcing killings to criminal networks, cooperating to hunt down dissidents and weaponising international agreements on crime and deportation.

While China continues to lead the way, more states than ever are practising transnational repression, and democratic host states are increasingly enabling it through their asylum and immigration systems. Those forced to seek safety abroad urgently need more support.

Ten states account for over 70 per cent of all incidents [of Transnational Repression], with China, Vietnam and Russia the three worst offenders. China is responsible for 319 recorded instances of physical transnational repression. It pursues Hong Kong democracy activists and Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities it regards as enemies of the state. Its campaign extends to Taiwanese civil society activists and elected officials, treated as Chinese nationals under its ‘One China’ principle, which views Taiwan not as an independent country but as a rebellious Chinese province.

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As the problem has grown, so has its recognition. The European Parliament, the G7 and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have all formally acknowledged transnational repression as an assault on human rights and national sovereignty. But recognition hasn’t translated into stronger responses. According to the International Partnership for Human Rights, the European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime is poorly suited to tackling transnational repression, as it only applies to serious violations such as killing and torture, while most transnational repression works through subtler means.

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Civicus Lens, and international human rights organisation with offices in South Africa, the U.S., and Switzerland, call on states to end all acts of transnational repression and cooperate fully with investigations and prosecutions.

"Democratic states must protect exiles and their families, refrain from deporting or extraditing anyone who faces danger, keep their asylum and immigration systems from being instrumentalised for repression and impose targeted sanctions on those responsible", its says.

"Civil society should keep documenting cases, supporting exiled activists and their families and holding host and home governments to account."

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