The day before, the police charged three men with aiding the Hong Kong intelligence service and forcing entry into a residential address.
I’m not going to speculate on whether the three men are guilty or innocent, as their court case is ongoing.
But the arrests have drawn attention to the phenomenon of “transnational repression,” in which autocratic governments surveil, harass or even attack their own citizens abroad.
Last month, following a string of attacks on Iranian journalists, Reporters Without Borders proclaimed London a “hot spot” for the phenomenon.
Although transnational repression is an old practice, it appears to be gaining prevalence.
Persons:
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Organizations:
Hong, Foreign, U.K, Borders
Locations:
London, Hong Kong, China, Britain