Foreign repression on UK soil rising, MPs and peers warn

LONDON: Foreign states are becoming bolder in their attempts to silence dissidents in the UK and the Government must take stronger action, parliamentarians have warned.

In a report, the Joint Committee on Human Rights said transnational repression had increased in recent years, with foreign states using online harassment, lawsuits and physical violence to intimidate people in the UK.

MI5 investigations into threats from other states have increased 48 per cent since 2022, the report said, while committee chairman Lord David Alton warned the rise was “going unchecked”.

He said: “This risks undermining the UK’s ability to protect the human rights of its citizens and those who have sought safety within its borders. We have seen prominent cases of Hong Kongers with bounties placed on their heads, Iran intimidating journalists – but evidence submitted to the inquiry suggest this may be the tip of the iceberg.”

Last month, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee warned that Iran had attempted to kidnap or murder at least 15 UK-based people since 2022, while Russia has also targeted dissidents including the attempt to kill Sergei and Yulia Skripal with Novichok in 2018.