This week, the European Parliament voted on my report on combating transnational repression in Europe. The result: 434 Members of the European Parliament voted in favour, 128 against, and 104 abstained.
This broad support shows that the European Parliament recognises the seriousness of the threat posed by transnational repression. Authoritarian regimes are no longer targeting their critics only within their own borders, but here in Europe too.
My Speech:
Before the vote, I made clear in plenary just how concrete this threat is: Chinese overseas police stations are operating in Italy, Croatia, Germany and Ireland. Iranian actors are working with organised crime to plan attacks in the Netherlands and Spain. Russian agents are intimidating opposition figures in Poland and Latvia. Moroccan media networks are targeting dissidents with coordinated smear campaigns and sexualised hate speech.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a deliberate and systematic attack on our security, our sovereignty and our democracy.
Autocrats want to send a chilling message to dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders and diaspora communities: “You are nowhere safe.” Our answer must be: “You are safe — here and now.”
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More InformationWhat happens next?
My report sets out how we can effectively respond to the threat of transnational repression. Now it comes down to implementation.
The European Commission and the Member States have to recognise transnational repression as a serious threat and implement our recommendations. People who flee authoritarian persecution and come to Europe must be truly protected here.
Read more in ND, Brussels Time, Human Rights Watch, RSF, Democrata, Frankfurter Rundschau, FAZ, TAZ, RND, Atlas Press, Vietnam.vn, the vietnamese, DLF, Freedom House
