This webinar, hosted by the Foreign Policy Centre in partnership with Freedom House and the University of Exeter, highlights recent trends on Transnational Repression in the age of Globalization. Drawing from the Freedom House Special Report, Perspectives on “Everyday” Transnational Repression in an Age of Globalization, the event will examine how authoritarian states exercise influence and maintain control over their populations abroad, from exceptional measures such as assassination to everyday modes of surveillance and harassment. The discussion aims to shed light on tactics and strategies of authoritarian states, ranging from digital tools of repression to ‘coercion-by-proxy,’ (pressure on exiles’ family members, associates, or acquaintances who remain in the origin country) and how these repression strategies impact on the ability of exiles and diasporas to engage in activism. The event will further reveal the latest analysis of the Central Asian Political Exiles Database project.

The webinar will focus on five areas: 1) the general trends of everyday transnational repression and how they relate to the more exceptional measures; 2) the digital transnational repression toolkit; 3) coercion-by-proxy and pressures on relatives left at home; 4) transnational repression in universities and its impact on academic freedom; and 5) the importance of defending diaspora activism for democracy and human rights. Examples will link repression in/from Central Asia and the Middle East & North Africa to exile communities overseas including in Europe and North America.

You can listen to the audio recording on our Soundcloud page.

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