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Transnational Repression: Trends and Policy Approaches

Date:
Location:
1334 Longworth House Office Building

Hearing Notice

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on trends in transnational repression and potential policy approaches to addressing this problem. 

Transnational repression is receiving growing interest from policymakers and attention from researchers who monitor its expansion. The Department of Justice defines transnational repression (TNR) as a “range of tactics that foreign governments employ to reach beyond their borders to harm, intimidate, threaten, harass, or coerce individuals. Targeted victims of transnational repression often include political dissidents and activists, journalists, political opponents, religious and ethnic minority groups, and members of diaspora and exile communities.”

Transnational repression constitutes human rights violations that cross borders. It can be direct, through killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, and unlawful removals, or indirect, through tactics such as online harassment, digital surveillance, targeting of relatives, and the abuse of consular services. Thus, TNR can implicate human rights abuses by creating a chilling effect on individuals’ abilities to exercise their rights of freedom of expression and association. TNR can be done by government officials but also by non-state actors like political parties and proxies located in other countries.

This hearing will examine new developments and trends since the Commission’s last hearing on TNR in February 2024, including the use of financial institutions to try to silence criticism and dissent. The hearing will assess multilateral efforts to develop common definitions and coordinate responses, and how other governments are crafting institutional approaches to addressing TNR. It will also look at particular country cases, such as Pakistan, India, Hong Kong and China. 

The hearing will be held in person and is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the media and the public. The public and the media may attend in person or view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. For questions, please contact Todd Stein (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Mark Milosch (for Co-Chair Smith). 

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Chris Smith
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Witnesses

Opening Remarks

  • James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC 
    Written remarks

  • Chris Smith, Co-Chair, TLHRC

Witnesses

Bios

Submitted for the Record

 

Meeting Documents

Video

Meeting Notes

Additional Materials

Contact The Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
4150 O'Neill House Office Building
200 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

Phone: +1 (202) 225-3599
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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