Coalition Engages Commissioner Castellucci on Strengthening Germany’s Response to Transnational Repression

On 3 March 2026, representatives of the Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany met with Commissioner Lars Castellucci and his team to discuss ways to strengthen Germany’s institutional response to transnational repression. During the meeting, the Coalition highlighted key structural gaps affecting individuals who experience cross‑border threats, including the absence of accessible reporting mechanisms, unclear protection pathways and responsibilities across authorities, and the need for increased capacity building and improved coordination at the federal level.

The Coalition was represented in this meeting by:

• Law and Democracy Support Foundation e.V.
• Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V.
• Civil Society Forum e.V.
• Reporter ohne Grenzen e.V. (Reporters Without Borders Germany)

The Coalition reiterated its consistent position that transnational repression must be addressed fundamentally as a human rights issue, not solely as a security matter. It stressed that prevention, protection, and accountability are interconnected pillars of any effective response. The discussion further underscored how individual cases often reflect broader systemic challenges within German institutions.

The Coalition appreciates the Commissioner’s openness to this exchange and looks forward to continued constructive cooperation aimed at strengthening protection and accountability mechanisms in Germany. It reaffirmed its commitment to advancing policy conversations that ensure Germany adopts comprehensive, coherent, and human‑rights‑driven measures to prevent, identify, and address transnational repression.

The Coalition brings together more than twenty German civil society organisations working collectively to monitor, respond to, support, and prevent acts of transnational repression affecting exiled journalists, human rights defenders, political activists, and diaspora communities. Thanks to sustained advocacy by the Coalition, transnational repression was recognised for the first time in the 2025 German governing coalition agreement as a growing human rights and security concern.