TNR Watch: European Parliament Tackles Transnational Repression

Resolution adopted: On June 16, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a landmark resolution that calls on all member states to unite to combat the threat posed by transnational repression. The resolution, which is based on a report commissioned by European Parliament member Hannah Neumann, who sits on the EP’s Foreign Affairs Committee, recommends that the European Union establish a definition of transnational repression, create a data-collection and reporting mechanism for it, strengthen protection measures for and outreach to targeted individuals, and increase accountability for perpetrator governments.

This vote came seven months after the EP approved a separate resolution on transnational repression against human rights defenders and just weeks after the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the EP convened a meeting of the Human Rights Defenders Protection Community of Practice that, among other issues, examined the threat posed to human rights defenders by transnational repression.

Growth in multilateral initiatives: Over the last year, the Group of Seven (G7) and United Nations have also expressed commitment to tackling the problem. In June 2025, the G7 released a first-of-its-kind Leaders’ Statement on transnational repression that acknowledges how such cross-border practices violate human rights and national security. G7 meetings throughout 2025 and the statement catalyzed the development within the group of a Resilience and Response Framework and a Digital TNR Detection Academy. The same month, the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a Civic Space Brief on transnational repression, which identifies tactics and urges governments to support exiled human rights defenders and activists.

On a regional level, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has condemned recent acts of transnational repression. Following the June 2025 murder of retired Major Roberto Samcam—who became a vocal critic of the Nicaraguan government in his later years—in Costa Rica, the IACHR asked host states to properly investigate incidents involving exiled Nicaraguans. The body also recognized transnational digital repression as among the harms caused by “malicious use” of spyware tools in a September 2025 report.

Stronger together: Joint efforts to address transnational repression can have a multiplier effect, align responses across jurisdictions, and signal the collective resolve of host states to uphold democratic values. As perpetrators of transnational repression rely on cooperation with like-minded governments to detain, deport, or otherwise harm diaspora members, democracies must continue to exchange intelligence, apply sanctions in a coordinated manner, and equip civil society with tools to reduce the threat.