As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts to combat transnational repression in Germany, the Law and Democracy Support Foundation e.V. (LDSF) yesterday took part in a delegation from the German Coalition Against Transnational Repression in a meeting with MP Norbert Altenkamp, Member of the German Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Deputy Chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid.
The delegation included:
- Basma Mostafa – Program Director, Law and Democracy Support Foundation e.V.
- Tenzyn Zöchbauer – Executive Director, Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V.
- Friederike Behr – Solidarity Project Manager, Civil Society Forum e.V.
The Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany was established in August 2024 and brings together more than 20 German civil society organizations working jointly to monitor, respond, support, and prevent acts of transnational repression.
Thanks to the coalition’s sustained national-level advocacy, transnational repression was officially recognized for the first time in the new German governing coalition’s agreement, as a growing threat to human rights.
During the meeting, the delegation outlined key challenges faced by individuals targeted by transnational repression in Germany, including:
- The absence of a clear mechanism for reporting, support, and protection for those targeted by their countries of origin.
- Limited expertise and coordination among relevant federal authorities (Interior Ministry, intelligence, and prosecution).
- Insufficient institutional awareness of transnational repression as a threat to both security and human rights.
The coalition also presented a set of key recommendations, including:
- The creation of a Central Contact Point to receive reports and coordinate responses among relevant authorities.
- Training for state officials to better address cases of transnational repression.
- Enhanced European and international cooperation to ensure accountability and to protect exiled journalists and human rights defenders.
To read the Coalition’s Policy Paper and learn more about its recommendations, visit:
https://ldsf.info/blog/2025/06/27/policy-paper-tackling-transnational-repression-in-germany
To visit the Coalition’s official website, please go to:
https://stop-transnational-repression.de/
