Defending Democracy in Exile: Policy Responses to Transnational Repression

Governments around the world are attempting to silence critics beyond their borders by using tactics of transnational repression, ranging from online harassment to assassinations. The problem is growing in the absence of tools to protect exiles and diasporas from authoritarians who seek to harm them.

Freedom House’s upcoming report, “Defending Democracy in Exile: Policy Responses to Transnational Repression” finds policymakers, technology companies, and international organizations have been slow to recognize transnational repression as a threat to rights and freedoms – and to democracy itself.

The report builds on Freedom House’s 2021 analysis of the scale and scope of transnational repression (“Out of Sight, Not Out of Reach“) and highlights trends in authoritarian practices and existing domestic responses. Confronted with ever more brazen attacks, it is imperative to transform the growing awareness of the problem into a meaningful response.