SPOTLIGHT

Protect dissidents against transnational repression

‘Don’t forget even Cambridge and the UK is not safe. They can get anywhere….’, read one of the messages sent to Pakistani filmmaker, human rights activist, and post-graduate researcher Roshaan Khattak in December 2024.

Khattak, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, has faced increasing threats for his research on human rights violations committed by the Pakistani military in Balochistan. In November 2025, he received explicit death threats, alongside messages including his passport number and other confidential details.  

The threats, allegedly linked to Pakistan’s intelligence services, are a clear case of transnational repression – which in recent months targeted an increasing number of Pakistani dissidents.  

In December 2025, Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, was physically attacked outside his house in Cambridge , having survived an acid attack in 2023. Former Pakistani army major and journalist Adil Raja was also targeted – his property broken into and damaged.

Police in the UK have repeatedly failed to take these attacks against dissidents seriously.

The UK government must do more to protect Roshaan Khattak and other targets of transnational repression. Responding to individual incidents of transnational repression at a local law enforcement level isn’t enough. Authorities, including the police, must coordinate response to attacks against Khattak and other exiled activists, journalists, and researchers in a holistic manner that addresses immediate risks to personal safety. Their approach must also understand the link between these attacks and dissidents’ freedom of expression and academic work, as well as the coordinated nature of these attacks.  

The UK government must send a clear message to the government of Pakistan that transnational repression will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will face justice.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Standing up for rights in Uganda following contested elections

Days on from elections in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni, who has entered his seventh term amid accusations of electoral fraud, publicly accused the opposition of being ‘terrorists’ who used violence to try to overturn the results.

For activists, opposition groups, and critics, it’s a cynical move to justify a continued crackdown on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly that blighted the pre-election period.

In the run up to polling day, human rights organisations were suspended, prominent human rights defender Sarah Bireete was arrested, and an internet shutdown left frustrated voters unable to communicate or access news and information.  

The main opposition leader, Bobi Wine, has said he won’t contest results – the judiciary, he claims, is entirely controlled by the government. Instead, he called on the people of Uganda to continue peaceful protests. He also expressed concerns for his safety, especially following death threats from the president’s son.  

On Monday, the internet in Uganda had been partially restored, giving people more ability to communicate and to access information. On Thursday, there were still restrictions on many social media platforms. The timing and scope of both the shutdown and its partial restoration make it clear that authorities use connectivity restrictions as a tool of political control.

Elections may be over but the movement to secure fundamental freedoms – to freely express views and participate in public life without fear of reprisal – continues.  

We will continue to follow events in Uganda, and urge institutions including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN to continue to champion the rights of the people. The government must comply with Uganda’s constitution, and uphold commitments to international human rights conventions and treaties.

It’s time for leaders to listen to the people of Uganda.