Transnational Repression and the U.S. Response
Hearing Notice
Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on transnational repression, its scope and scale, and proposals to strengthen the U.S. response.
“Transnational repression,” or TNR, refers to the practice of governments reaching across national borders to silence criticism and dissent by individuals in diaspora and exile communities, in violation of their human rights. Victims of TNR include journalists, academics, human rights defenders, and members of discriminated-against religious or ethnic populations, as well as political opponents. The tactics take many forms, including physical and digital stalking and harassment, threats and assaults, criminalization, coerced repatriation, pressure exerted over family members or their detention, kidnappings, enforced disappearances and even assassination. The phenomenon is global: from 2014 through 2022, Freedom House documented 854 direct, physical incidents of TNR committed by 38 governments in 91 countries. China accounted for the largest number of incidents, but Turkey, Egypt and Rwanda are among the top ten offenders. U.S. law enforcement agencies are responding to incidents of transnational repression that occur on U.S. territory, but confront obstacles such as gaps in the criminal code, as documented in an October 2023 report by the General Accounting Office. Congressional initiatives to prevent, mitigate and respond to TNR both internationally and domestically include H.R. 3654, The Transnational Repression Policy Act.
Witnesses will discuss their latest research on transnational repression, describe their personal experiences as victims of TNR, and offer recommendations to Congress.
The hearing will be hybrid. Members of Congress will participate in person. Witnesses may participate in person or remotely via Cisco WebEx. The public and the media may attend in person or view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. The hearing will also be available for viewing on Channel 54 of the House Digital Channel service. For questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Mark Milosch (for Co-Chair Smith).
Hosted by:
| James P. McGovern Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC |
Christopher H. Smith Member of Congress Co-Chair, TLHRC |
Opening Remarks
- Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC
Written remarks - Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Member, TLHRC
Written remarks
Witnesses
Panel I
- Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Executive Vice President, Freedom House
Written testimony - John Sifton, Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Written testimony - Tess McEnery, Executive Director, Middle East Democracy Center
Written testimony - Frances Hui, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation
Written testimony - Taing Sarada, Cambodian Journalist
Written testimony - Elfidar Iltebir, President, Uyghur American Association
- Abdülhamit Bilici, Turkish Journalist
Submitted for the Record
- Rep. Ilhan Omar, Executive Committee, TLHRC, Statement Submitted for the Record
- Rep. Adam Schiff, Member, TLHRC, Statement Submitted for the Record
- Lewis Mudge, Central Africa Director, Human Rights Watch, Statement Submitted for the Record (Rwanda)
- Laura Schroeder, Congressional Affairs, PEN America, Statement Submitted for the Record
- The Sikh Coalition, Statement Submitted for the Record
- Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Statement Submitted for the Record
- Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and The Sikh Coalition, Statement Submitted for the Record