Transnational Repression and the Case for International Criminal Accountability

This analytical article argues that international criminal law should be applied to hold state leaders accountable for transnational repression (TNR), a growing practice where governments target dissidents and diaspora communities abroad. Citing the 2021 attempted abduction of journalist Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn by Iranian operatives, the text highlights that TNR is a deliberate leadership crime rather than rogue agent misconduct. Despite extensive documentation by Freedom House and condemnation by the UN and G7, criminal responsibility for ordering such acts remains unaddressed. The author contends that existing legal frameworks are sufficient to prosecute these atrocities, which include kidnappings, poisonings, and forced disappearances across 107 countries. The piece emphasizes that while policy tools and diplomatic statements have increased, they fail to deter rising incidents because they do not punish the decision-makers. It calls for a shift from mere political condemnation to rigorous legal accountability under international criminal law, asserting that the mechanisms to try those who order cross-border repression already exist but have not been seriously utilized.