International organisation Freedom House says that in 2025 Georgia was added to the list of countries using tactics of transnational repression.
In a special report, the organisation says that “the group of states carrying out repression has expanded”, identifying six new countries practising transnational repression: Afghanistan, Benin, Georgia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
In the report, transnational repression is defined as a state targeting its own citizens beyond its borders, including activists, journalists, opposition figures and members of the diaspora.
The report says that as of 2025, at least 54 states are attempting to “silence dissidents abroad”, accounting for more than a quarter of countries worldwide.
Such actions include both direct and indirect methods:
unlawful detentions
forced returns (extradition)
abuse of international legal mechanisms
pressure on individuals living abroad
Freedom House also notes that transnational repression is often carried out through cooperation between states, making it more difficult to protect dissidents living in foreign countries.
In Georgia’s case, the report does not provide specific examples. The country is mentioned only once, in a single paragraph.
According to the report’s authors, the rise in transnational repression poses a serious challenge both to the protection of human rights and to the security of democratic states where dissidents seek refuge.
