Fears of foreign intimidation in the UK soar amid calls for urgent government action
Foreign powers are increasingly audacious in their efforts to silence dissidents residing in the UK, a trend that demands a more robust response from the British Government, parliamentarians have warned. A recent report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights highlights a worrying surge in "transnational repression," where foreign states employ online harassment, legal challenges, and even violence to intimidate individuals on British soil. According to the report, investigations by MI5 into such threats have escalated by a staggering 48 percent since 2022. Lord David Alton, chairman of the committee, expressed grave concern that this escalating aggression is "going unchecked," thereby risking "undermining the UK's ability to protect the human rights of its citizens and those who have sought safety within its borders." Lord Alton cited prominent examples, including bounties allegedly placed on the heads of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists based in th...