We call for Immediate Protection, Preventive Entry Measures, and Accountability
Berlin, 2nd March 2026
Zum Vorlesen der Erklärung auf Deutsch:
The Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany is deeply concerned for the safety of our Co‑Spokesperson, Basma Mostafa, and for the effectiveness of Germany’s protection mechanisms against transnational repression (TNR). Ahmed Abdelkader, who assaulted Ms. Mostafa in 2022, was allowed to re-enter Germany without preventive restrictions. He has been publicly documented by five UN Special Procedures and was arrested in the UK in August 2025 for intimidation and assaults against other human rights activists.
In light of the direct, repeated threats and actions targeting Ms. Mostafa, the Coalition underscores that immediate preventive measures – particularly an entry ban – should have been imposed. Ms. Mostafa’s inclusion in the UN Secretary‑General’s reprisals report confirms the international significance of her case. Furthermore, a Berlin police report dated 18 July 2022 records the appearance of a male individual presenting a diplomatic ID of the Egyptian Embassy who confirmed that the accused Mr. Abdelkader was working for him at the Embassy. The report also notes that Mr. Abdelkader himself stated he holds no diplomatic status. This official record provides credible, contemporaneous evidence of a direct institutional link to foreign official actors in the context of intimidation against Ms. Mostafa. In April 2025, then‑Human Rights Commissioner Luise Amtsberg deemed the case “deeply concerning,” consistent with repeated calls by human rights groups for Germany to meet its ICCPR obligations.
The repression against Basma Mostafa has been neither sporadic nor isolated. Following the initial assault in 2022, Ms. Mostafa faced a coordinated intimidation campaign that escalated into public incitement to physical and sexual violence, the deliberate publication of her home address, and direct threats against her children. Persistent physical surveillance in Berlin – conducted by informal agents as well as a foreign diplomat – aimed to monitor and restrict her daily movement. This systematic pattern intensified dangerously after Mr. Abdelkader’s UK arrest in August 2025.
Throughout August and September 2025, Ms. Mostafa received renewed threats on her German phone number, explicitly promising “punishment” and threatening further physical violence and kidnapping. Despite these sustained escalations, and despite an official 2024 LKA security letter advising her to leave her home, no effective assistance in finding secure housing or alternative
protection measures has been provided.
In January 2026, Mr. Abdelkader’s public posting of a “victory pose” from Berlin demonstrated a profound failure of preventive and accountability mechanisms. Authorities did not notify Ms. Mostafa of his re-entry, exposing her again to a documented, repeat offender. This situation highlights the disconnect between political recognition of the threat of TNR and the practical implementation of protection measures, leaving perpetrators with a dangerous sense of impunity.
The Coalition stresses that rhetorical commitments or symbolic gestures are no longer adequate benchmarks for assessing Germany’s response to transnational repression.
A state’s commitment is ultimately measured by its response to individual cases. When tangible protection and legal accountability are absent even in one of the most thoroughly documented cases of TNR in Germany, it sends a devastating message to every other affected person. This inaction of German authorities contributes to a chilling effect:
individuals targeted by intimidation and harassment lose confidence in a potential reporting
process, and perpetrators become emboldened to act freely on German territory.
The Coalition urges the Federal Government to move from political acknowledgment to concrete implementation, in line with the state’s obligation under Article 2(2) of the German Constitution to protect life and physical integrity.
We call for immediate preventive measures, including:
● An entry ban on perpetrators;
● Notification protocols to immediately inform affected individuals when a know
perpetrator enters Germany;
- Rapid, low‑threshold protection and safe housing for targeted individuals.
The Coalition against Transnational Repression in Germany was founded in August 2024 and currently consists of 20 German human rights and diaspora organizations that aim to raise awareness about the threat of TNR and its impact on human rights, freedom and security in Germany. The coalition is committed to promoting a better understanding of the phenomenon, protection and support for those affected, and to raising awareness among society, politics, security authorities, and administration. To promote these goals, the coalition provides a space for affected people and civil society organizations to exchange ideas, carries out public relations and networking work, and engages in joint advocacy work.
