On July 30, 2025, a Parliamentary committee in the United Kingdom published a report warning about the ever-growing issue of transnational repression on British soil. The report produced by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, a committee consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords), to examine matters relating to human rights within the United Kingdom, found that foreign governments are being increasingly bold in attempts to silence and intimidate individuals and communities in the U.K. Transnational repression refers to a range of tactics that foreign governments employ to reach beyond their borders to harm, intimidate, threaten, harass, or coerce individuals. Transnational repression may take various forms, including, but not limited to, stalking, online disinformation campaigns, harassment, intimidation or threats, threatening or detaining family members or friends in the country of origin, abusive legal practices, cyberhacking, among others. Those targeted often include political dissidents, activists, journalists, and political opponents, among others.
The Committee received credible evidence that a number of states have engaged in acts of transnational repression on U.K. soil. These actions have a serious impact on those targeted, instilling fear, and limiting their freedom of expression and movement, among others. The Committee identified several countries which are notorious when it comes to targeting individuals in the U.K., including China, Russia and Iran.
As the report explains, China has been resorting to tactics such as surveillance, online harassment, and threats to family members abroad as means of transnational repression. China has also placed “bounties” on several individuals, offering a $HK1 million reward for information leading to their capture abroad. Among their targets is Chloe Cheung, a 19-year-old, who is sought by Hong Kong authorities for alleged violations of the controversial National Security Law. The report further warns that China operates unofficial Chinese “police stations” in the U.K. They are said to monitor and pressure members of the Chinese diaspora.
Russia, on the other hand, is accused of misusing INTERPOL Red Notices and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to intimidate and silence journalists, activists, and other critics. This is in addition to Russia conducting attacks on individuals on British soil, including the Salisbury nerve agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal, among others.
Iran has been resorting to assassination plots, physical attacks, intimidation of family members, asset freezing, judicial proceedings, smear campaigns, online abuse, surveillance and digital attacks such as hacking, doxing and impersonation, targeting individuals in the U.K. Iranian “cultural centers” are said to be used as fronts for surveillance operations targeting members of the Iranian diaspora. Journalists covering the situation in Iran are at particular risk and have been subjected to some of the most aggressive forms of transnational repression. As Reporters without Borders is quoted in the report: “Iranian women journalists have been subjected to gendered and sexualized abuse, including explicit threats of rape or sexual violence towards them or their families (including children), the circulation of fake stories designed to ruin their reputations and photoshopped pornographic images.”
Other countries accused of using transnational repression in the U.K. include Bahrain, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Despite the litany of cases, especially as seen in recent years, the Committee warns that the U.K. currently lacks a clear strategy to address the issue of transnational repression. There is no formal definition of transnational repression in the U.K., and the government does not routinely collect data on such targeting, and in turn, authorities cannot understand the scale and nature of the threat in the U.K. Furthermore, police officers often lack the training necessary to respond effectively to transnational repression, resulting in inconsistent and ineffective support for transnational repression victims.
Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Lord David Alton of Liverpool, commented: “The U.K. should be a place of sanctuary and safety; however, we are concerned that there is a growth of foreign repression on U.K. soil that is going unchecked. This risks undermining the U.K.’s ability to protect the human rights of its citizens and those who have sought safety within its borders. We have seen prominent cases of Hong Kongers with bounties placed on their heads, Iran intimidating journalists, but evidence submitted to the inquiry suggests this may be the tip of the iceberg.”
The issue of transnational repression requires comprehensive responses. The Joint Committee on Human Rights identified several important recommendations to help the U.K. deal with the issue. While direct at the U.K., many of the recommendations are transferable and should be adopted by other States too.