European Parliament Condemns Transnational Repression, Calls for EU-wide System
The European Parliament adopted a report condemning transnational repression by authoritarian regimes targeting dissidents abroad, including financial abuses. MEPs seek an EU-wide system to track incidents and ensure financial inclusion for victims like Lyudmyla Kozlovska. The report aims to push EU authorities to implement remedies against the weaponization of financial and cybersecurity laws.
The European Parliament adopted its first comprehensive report on Tuesday addressing how authoritarian regimes target critics, activists, and dissidents abroad, a practice known as «transnational repression.» Countries like Russia, Iran, and China are using methods from spying to physical violence against individuals across Europe.
MEPs are calling for the EU to establish a common system to record and report these incidents, aiming to better understand the problem's scope. A key concern highlighted is financial transnational repression, where states exploit anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) frameworks to restrict dissidents' access to financial services. Ukrainian human rights activist Lyudmyla Kozlovska, president of the Open Dialogue Foundation and a Belgian resident, experienced this when her bank accounts were frozen due to Russia exploiting Financial Action Task Force guidelines, leading to «de-banking.»
Kozlovska stated the report amplifies victims' voices, recognizing that financial and cybersecurity laws are being weaponized against them, their donors, businesses, and academics. She believes the report could prompt the European Commission and the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority to implement measures like pre-freeze verification and guaranteed access to basic banking services. However, Kozlovska argues accountability remains insufficient, as the cost of transnational repression is still too low for authoritarian regimes abusing INTERPOL, AML/CFT, and cybersecurity laws.
MEP Hannah Neumann, the report's rapporteur, emphasized that financial transnational repression is an existential threat, with EU systems being abused to deny individuals access to money and banking. She stressed the need for effective measures, including guaranteed bank account access and improved training for supervisory authorities. Jorge Jraissati, president of the Economic Inclusion Group, noted the issue has grown since 2023 and criticized European regulatory bodies for ignoring it, urging the European Commission and AMLA to develop remedies for de-banking and enhance financial inclusion protections for politically motivated cases.