Freedom House sanctions and has participated in multilateral responses to transnational repression elsewhere in Europe. 24 In September 2020, the Green Party proposed that Germany adopt an individual sanction mechanism, similar to the Global Magnitsky Act, that would allow authorities to impose targeted sanctions such as visa bans and asset freezes against individuals found to have committed human rights violations. 25 The resolution used the murder of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi as a justification for the need for such sanctions and advocated for similar measures at the EU level. In 2021, Germany was a strong proponent of EU-wide sanctions in response to the Belarusian hijacking of a passenger plane in order to arrest exiled activist Roman Protasevich. 26 In 2018, in coordination with other European countries and the United States, Germany expelled four Russian diplomats in response to the Russian poisoning of former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in England. 27 German support for multilateral sanctions in response to attacks that occurred outside of Germany is notable because transnational repression within the country has not elicited a united European response, nor any lasting change to Germany’s bilateral relations. The Khangoshvili case does not appear to have impacted Germany’s relationship with Russia more broadly, despite condemnations by government officials. German chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a relationship reset with Russia soon after taking office at the end of 2021 and within weeks of the verdict in the Khangoshvili case.28 Though later overshadowed by Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the timing of the initial effort at reconciliation underscored how transnational repression can be deprioritized in relation to other foreign policy considerations. Germany’s new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has said she will pursue a “values-based foreign policy,” 29 and the governing agreement between coalition parties pledged support to civil society and human rights defenders “even in the event of cross-border persecution.” 30 If it comes to fruition, the new approach could bring increased accountability and attention to transnational repression. Over the last 10 years, Germany has expelled diplomats in relation to three instances of transnational repression that occurred within Germany. freedomhouse.org 5