1 hour, 51 minutes
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on foreign governments that repress dissenters abroad with intimidation and violence, and how the U.S. government can more effectively counter this threat. The witnesses were Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist targeted by Russia because of his work; Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House; and Caoilfhionn Gallagher, an Irish barrister representing jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai. According to Mr. Abramowitz, the top 10 countries that engage in transnational oppression are China, Turkey, Tajikistan, Egypt, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus, and Rwanda--with China responsible for 30% of all cases. Mr. Grozev recommended that the U.S. take a leading role to help coordinate international law enforcement on this issue, saying, "transnational crime must be fought with transnational measures," a thought that was echoed by Ms. Gallagher.
