OUT OF SIGHT,
NOT OUT OF REACH
The Global Scale and Scope
of Transnational Repression
Recommendations
Surveillance cameras stand above the US-Mexican border fence in Tijuana, Mexico in January 2017. Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
A
cts of transnational repression can be difficult to prevent.
Obstacles to countering this alarming phenomenon
are embedded in larger issues of authoritarian influence in
democracies, as well as in refugee policies, law enforcement
engagement with vulnerable communities, the export of
spyware, and limits on the enforcement of sanctions.
The recommendations listed below are intended to
constrain the ability of states to commit acts of
transnational repression and to increase accountability
for perpetrators of transnational repression. Reducing
opportunities for authoritarian states to manipulate
institutions within democracies will make it harder for them
to target exiles and diasporas. Consistent accountability
will moreover raise the cost of transnational repression for
perpetrators.
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@FreedomHouse
Recommendations for the United States
Executive Branch
Deploy a robust strategy for the use of targeted
sanctions against perpetrators of transnational
repression and those facilitating such acts. Targeted
sanctions against rights violators, such as denying or
revoking visas for entry to the United States, or freezing
US-based assets, enjoy broad bipartisan support. Existing US
law allows for targeted sanctions on individuals (including
both government officials and private citizens) and entities
involved in a variety of crimes, including serious human rights
abuses and corruption. In some cases, the family members of
perpetrators are also eligible for sanction. A robust sanctions
strategy that pays special attention to perpetrators of
transnational repression and those who enable them would
#TransnationalRepression
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