The European Parliament has raised serious concerns over the growing threat of transnational repression, particularly targeting human rights defenders on EU soil. Parliamentarians emphasized that these attacks, carried out by authoritarian regimes, aim to coerce, control, or silence political opponents, journalists, activists, and members of the diaspora. In a recent report adopted by 512 votes to 76, with 52 abstentions, MEPs stressed that human rights defenders are vital to democracy and the rule of law, yet remain insufficiently protected.
MEPs identified that ten countries—China, Türkiye, Tajikistan, Russia, Egypt, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus—account for nearly 80% of transnational repression cases recorded over the past decade. These incidents, numbering more than 1,200 in 103 countries, include targeted killings, abductions, harassment, forced returns, disappearances, and expulsions.
Beyond physical attacks, MEPs highlighted the misuse of legal instruments to target defenders, such as consular services, extradition procedures, arrests, abusive Interpol red notices, and false accusations of terrorism or undermining state security. Non-physical threats, including digital surveillance, intimidation, blackmail, and threats against families, also form part of the coercive strategies employed by authoritarian regimes.
The report stressed that emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, spyware, and malicious data communications, are increasingly being used to facilitate transnational repression. MEPs called on EU member states to prevent and tackle digital forms of repression, hold private technology actors accountable through transparency measures, and establish grievance mechanisms for those affected.
MEPs also urged systematic inclusion of transnational repression in EU agreements with third countries, strict market surveillance, and prohibition of exports of spyware and dual-use goods to regimes engaged in such practices. They recommended holding perpetrators accountable through targeted sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, commonly known as the EU Magnitsky Act, to ensure stronger protection for human rights defenders worldwide.
