UK parliamentary panel names 12 countries in 'transnational repression' report

London, Jul 30 (PTI) A British parliamentary panel on Wednesday warned that foreign governments are being increasingly bold in attempts to silence and intimidate individuals and communities in the UK.

The ‘Transnational Repression in the UK’ report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) names India among 12 countries against which it had received evidence of transnational repression (TNR).

There was no immediate comment from India on the report.

The JCHR, made up of cross-party members of Parliament, is in charge of examining matters relating to human rights within the UK and scrutinising government legislation for its compatibility with human rights.

Its report claims that the committee received “credible evidence” that several states engaged in acts of such repression on UK soil with a serious impact on those targeted, “instilling fear, limiting their freedom of expression and movement, and undermining their sense of safety”.  The number of state-threat investigations run by MI5, the country's security agency, has grown by 48 per cent since 2022, it claims.

“Our inquiry received evidence alleging that many states had conducted TNR activities on UK soil. Multiple evidence submissions accused Bahrain, China, Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates of perpetrating TNR in the UK,” reads the report.

The evidence published with the report referencing India relates to Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistani outfit declared an “unlawful association” under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The JCHR report also claims to have received evidence on the conduct of individual member states alleged to have engaged in “systematic misuse” of Interpol mechanisms.

It reads: “We were told that misuse of Interpol Notices was widespread, but that China, Russia, and Turkey were the most prolific abusers of Interpol’s Notice system.

“The committee also heard allegations of misuse by Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, Ukraine and Venezuela.” JCHR Chair Lord David Alton said the evidence submitted to its inquiry is a cause for concern and called for transnational repression to be "prioritised" in the UK’s diplomatic relations. He said the committee plans to write to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to highlight the evidence it received.  The UK Home Office said it takes the threat of transnational repression “extremely seriously”.

"Any attempts by a foreign state to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals on UK soil are considered a threat to our national security and sovereignty, and will not be tolerated,” a spokesperson said.

It said action is already being taken to “further strengthen” the UK’s response to any such activities.

Meanwhile, Interpol said it has “robust processes” for ensuring that all Interpol notices comply with rules.

“Our constitution forbids Interpol from undertaking activities of a political, military, religious or racial character and all our databases and activities must also comply with the universal declaration for human rights,” a spokesperson said. PTI AK ZH ZH