The latest report by Freedom House — an organization that describes itself as a defender of human rights — reveals that more than 20% of the world’s national governments have reached beyond their borders to assassinate, assault, imprison, interrogate and deport dissenters. The analysis found that national governments are reportedly searching the world for political activists, journalists and other foreign nationals in order to silence them.
According to Freedom House, a total of 25 countries are responsible for 125 incidents of “physical transnational repression.” The worst offenders, according to the report, are China, Russia, Turkey, Tajikistan and Egypt. Between 2014 and 2023, the report found that China alone is responsible for 25% of all cases.
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In total, Freedom House found 1,034 cases of physical transnational repression. Reuters reported on an incident in 2023, where a Sikh activist in Canada was killed in an alleged assassination plot by the Indian government.
Freedom House also noted another alleged assassination plot that failed in the U.S. against a Sikh activist, as U.S. officials accuse India’s government of being behind the attempt.
Another incident of alleged transnational repression occurred in Spain. According to Reuters, Spanish intelligence believes Russia hired assassins to kill a former Russian helicopter pilot in the country. The former pilot had assumed a false name after defecting to Ukraine amid Russia’s war with the country. In total, Freedom House documents that Russia is accused of at least 18 incidents of physical transnational repression.
Meanwhile, China is accused of targeting nationals abroad, with Chinese officials reportedly threatening dissidents through “police stations” secretly operating in other countries. The FBI reportedly raided one of the outposts in New York City in fall 2023. China reportedly operates around 100 secret police outposts in Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Canada, France and several other countries.
Iran has also been accused of targeting journalists. London police investigated threats against Iran International TV, which forced the station to relocate to Washington, according to Reason.com.
The Freedom House report also indicates that without proactive moves, acts of transnational repression will continue to increase. Freedom House authors urge democracies to create safeguards against advancing surveillance systems used to track journalists and human rights activists by authoritarian governments.
Advocates want the U.S. and other countries to create a licensing system to identify countries targeting dissidents abroad and to train law enforcement to recognize transnational repression.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS KILLING, KIDNAPPING, INTERROGATING AND HARRASSING DISSENTERS, AND CROSSING SOVEREIGN BOUNDARIES TO DO SO.
NEW DATA REVEALS IT’S A GROWING PROBLEM ACROSS THE GLOBE
THE DETAILS ARE THE LATEST REPORT FROM FREEDOM HOUSE, A SELF-DESCRIBED CIVIL LIBERTIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.
THE GROUP WARNING OF GOVERNMENTS LOOKING AROUND THE WORLD FOR POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, JOURNALISTS AND OTHER FOREIGN NATIONALS, IN ORDER TO SILENCE THEM.
ACCORDING TO FREEDOM HOUSE MORE THAN 20% OF THE WORLD’S GOVERNMENTS HAVE REACHED OUTSIDE OF THEIR BORDERS TO CARRY OUT– ASSASSINATIONS, ATTACKS, ABDUCTIONS AND MORE.
THE WORST OFFENDERS, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, WERE CHINA, RUSSIA, TURKEY, TAJIKISTAN AND EGYPT.
BETWEEN 2014 TO 2023, MORE THAN ONE-THOUSAND RECORDED INCIDENTS OF SO-CALLED, TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION, WORLDWIDE.
THE DOCUMENTED ACTS COMMITTED BY DOZENS OF GOVERNMENTS.
CHINA ALONE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 25% OF ALL CASES.
AND EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT, FREEDOM HOUSE SAYS THE NUMBER OF CASES IS LIKELY UNDERSTATED.
SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE ACTS OF VIOLENCE IN JUST THE LAST YEAR, INCLUDE THE ALLEGED ASSASSINATION OF A SIKH ACTIVIST IN CANADA AND ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF ANOTHER IN THE U.S. THE U.S. AND CANADIAN AUTHORITIES ACCUSE INDIA OF PERPETRATING THE ACTS.
RUSSIA IS ACCUSED OF AT LEAST 18 INCIDENTS IN 2023, TARGETING ANTIWAR ACTIVISTS AND CRITICS WITH IMPRISONMENT AND c INTERROGATION.
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE IS REPORTED TO HAVE ORDERED THE ASSASSINATION OF A HELICOPTER PILOT, WHO HAD BEEN USING A FALSE IDENTITY IN SPAIN, AFTER DEFECTING TO UKRAINE.
POLICE SAY ATTACKERS SHOT HIM SIX TIMES, KILLING HIM.
CHINA IS ACCUSED OF TARGETING NATIONALS ABROAD, WITH CCP OFFICIALS THREATENING DISSIDENTS THROUGH “POLICE STATIONS,” SECRETLY OPERATED IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, THE FBI RAIDED ONE OF THE OUTPOSTS IN NEW YORK CITY LAST FALL.
CHINA REPORTEDLY OPERATES AROUND 100 SECRET POLICE OUTPOSTS IN JAPAN, TAIWAN, IRELAND, CANADA, FRANCE AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES.
AND IRAN HAS LONG TARGETED JOURNALISTS. LONDON POLICE INVESTIGATED THREATS AGAINST IRAN NATIONAL TV, WHICH FORCED THE STATION TO RELOCATE TO WASHINGTON TEMPORARILY.
THE REPORT’S AUTHORS CAUTION WITHOUT ACTION THESE ACTS WILL SPREAD.
FREEDOM HOUSE RECOMMENDS SAFEGUARDS AGAINST ADVANCING SURVEILLANCE, USED TO TRACK JOURNALISTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS.
ADVOCATES WANT THE U.S. TO CREATE A LICENSING SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY COUNTRIES TARGETING DISSIDENTS ABROAD AND TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RECOGNIZE TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION.
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