Source: https://hongkongwatch.org
On 15 May, Hong Kong Watch hosted a panel discussion on transnational repression (TNR) against journalists in the House of Lords, in collaboration with International Human Rights Advisors (#IHR Advisors) and the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (#IBAHRI).
The packed-out event, which had around 50 human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and policymakers in attendance, saw contributions from Ben Keith of IHR Advisors, Turkish journalist and academic Kerim Balci, exiled Chinese dissident and journalist Lyndon Li, and foreign correspondent at The Times of London, Catherine Philp. The event was hosted by Lord Murray of Blidworth, a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (#JCHR), which is currently conducting an inquiry into transnational repression.
Ben Keith outlined his experience of how transnational repression interacts with the frameworks of international law, including the misuse of the INTERPOL Red Notice system, and noted examples of transnational repression against journalists from his own casework, including in #Russia, #Georgia, and #Ukraine.
Kerim Balci described his personal experience of transnational repression against journalists by the #Turkish government, which since 2016 has made heavy use of international legal frameworks, including extradition requests, manipulation of #INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (#SLTD) database, and misuse international Financial Intelligence Units, to persecute #journalists overseas.
Lyndon Li talked about his experience as a former Voice of America reporter and an exiled #Chinese dissident, including his experience of espionage and surveillance by People’s Republic of China (#PRC) agents on UK university campuses, and in the course of his work as a journalist.
Catherine Philp explained how #London has become a hotspot for repressive action against journalists, and the limitations of the #UK government’s response to acts of transnational repression. She criticised the UK government’s unwillingness to act to protect detained journalists overseas, such as by refusing to rule out publicly that detained journalists are involved in espionage, and neglecting to impose sanctions on individuals involved in cases of #transnationalrepression against journalists.
This event demonstrated the global reach of transnational repression, and the necessity of creating links between activists, academics and journalists working in different regions to combat the joint threat posed by authoritarian states across the globe. We would like to extend our thanks to Lord Murray for hosting, and to our speakers for taking the time to share their expertise and experience of this pressing human rights issue.
