JAM joins ten rights groups to form “Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany”

August 12, 2024

Human  rights and diaspora organizations based in Germany have come together to form the “Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany” (TNR Coalition).

 Transnational repression is a strategy employed by mostly autocratic governments to silence their critics abroad. Exiles often cannot live safely in Germany; they are threatened, intimidated, or even subjected to violent persecution. The TNR Coalition aims to collectively address these threats and intimidation in Germany.

“When people are persecuted in Germany, they have so far been alone with their fears,” says David Missal, spokesperson for Tibet Initiative Germany, which initiated the coalition. 

“Transnational repression is not just a threat to individuals but also a challenge to democracy and the rule of law. This needs more attention in Germany—and political responses. We have come together as an alliance to send a clear message: victims of transnational repression must be taken seriously and protected.”

Barış Altıntaş, a senior projects official gor JAM e.V, said: “We are increasingly seeing attempts to intimidate exiled journalists in Germany.  Sometimes these are very serious intimidation attempts by secret services, sometimes the journalsits are publicly attacked by politicians at home-nations. Other times it is autocratic propaganda targeting exiled journalists. Regardless of the level of the threat, these should be taken seriously and we believe the coalition will make a great difference in creating awareness about this.”   

The TNR Coalition is committed to raising awareness among the public, politicians, and authorities dealing with at-risk groups. It provides advice on developing political and civil society solutions and serves as a strong voice for affected individuals. The coalition represents victims of transnational repression that is allegedly linked to governments in China, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Belarus, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and Iran.

Founding members include Tibet Initiative Germany, Mikroskop Media, JAM e.V., the veto! Human Rights Defenders’ Network – German Section e.V., the Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) e.V., Freiheit für Hongkong e.V., MangMang Magazine, Reporters Without Borders e.V. (RSF), the Belarusian Community Razam e.V., the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), and the Association of Tibetans in Germany e.V.