On May 20th, from 13:00 to 15:00 CET in the European Parliament, a high-level seminar—“On the Front Lines Against Authoritarianism: Journalists, Activists & The Threat of Transnational Repression”—will explore how the Putin and Lukashenka regimes are extending their repression across borders, targeting exiled journalists, dissidents, and human rights defenders across Europe.
Co-hosted by Members of the European Parliament Marina Kaljurand, Urmas Paet and Sven Mikser, in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights, this seminar brings together some of the prominent voices resisting authoritarian rule—and surviving its repressive reach.
“This is not just about Russia and Belarus—it’s about whether Europe will protect core democratic values and the exiled communities who seek to advance them,” says MEP Marina Kaljurand.
MEP Urmas Paet adds, that “when dissidents are crudely hunted down by authoritarian regimes inside the EU, it’s everyone’s freedom, democracy and our sovereignty that are under attack.”
Speakers:
- Hanna Liubakova, exiled Belarusian journalist sentenced in absentia to 9 years in prison.
- Natalia Arno, Free Russia Foundation, poisoned in 2023 in Prague.
- Vytis Jurkonis, Freedom House Vilnius, responsible for creating a democracy refuge in Lithuania for vulnerable activists and journalists.
Transnational repression is no longer covert. It is happening in plain sight.
Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) recently uncovered a plot by Russian and Belarusian intelligence services to orchestrate violent attacks against members of the Belarusian diaspora residing in Lithuania. The attackers were reportedly provided with precise details about targets including their appearance, locations, and timing of movements.
The alarming reach of authoritarian regimes in targeting journalists and dissidents beyond their borders, aiming to instill fear and suppress opposition voices even within the European Union:
- Sentencing of journalists and activists in exile– like Hanna Liubakova, who was sentenced to 9 years in prison in 2024.
- Physical harassment and assassination of journalists, activists and whistleblowers in exile, including Vitaly Shishov in Ukraine and the poisoning of Alexander Litvenenko.
- Chemical exposure and break-ins targeting activists like Natalia Arno of the Free Russia Foundation.
- Intimidation, surveillance, and infiltration of exiled opposition networks across EU member states.
This seminar delivers first-hand testimony from victims and survivors, expose the tactics used by authoritarian regimes to chill dissent in exile, and propose concrete policy responses for EU lawmakers, including:
- Sanction frameworks targeting transnational repression operatives
- Effective EU-wide government and CSO protections for vulnerable individuals
- Coordinated intelligence-sharing and legal accountability mechanisms
Event Details:
🗓 Date: May 20, 2025
🕐 Time: 13:00 – 15:00 CET
📍 Venue: European Parliament, Brussels Room ASP5G1
🎤 Co-hosted by MEPs Marina Kaljurand, Urmas Paet & Sven Mikser
RSVP HERE BY MAY 13, 14.00 : https://forms.gle/kp4Zh4xbCoR2K3si8