Responding to Transnational Repression

In December 2021, President Biden will host the virtual Summit for Democracy for leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector. The summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and will provide a platform for leaders to make both individual and collective commitments to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad. In advance of the summit, on December 7 at 10:00 a.m. ET, Freedom House will host a panel discussion on one of the major themes of the Summit: defending against authoritarianism.

Transnational repression describes efforts by authoritarian governments to reach beyond their own borders to silence dissent among exiles and diaspora communities. It takes the form of assassinations, kidnapping, threats, digital surveillance, and coercion of loved ones. Freedom House’s discussion will build on existing research into the origins and tactics of transnational repression to analyze its impact on people living within democracies. The conversation will cover how and why both physical and digital attacks occur, their impact on individuals and state institutions, and what democracies can do about the problem. Panelists will draw examples from cases of physical and digital transnational repression in Europe and North America.

Date and Time:

December 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET
via Zoom

Participants:

Yana Gorokhovskaia,
Senior Research Analyst, Freedom House | @gorokhovskaia

Isabel Linzer,
Research Analyst, Freedom House | @isabelalinzer

Siena Anstis,
Senior Legal Advisor, Citizen Lab | @sienaanstis

Noura Al-Jizawi,
Research Officer, Citizen Lab | @nouraaljizawi

Marcus Michaelsen,
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Vrije Universiteit Brusse l @mmichae1sen
 

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