WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (IPS) – At least 55 governments have restricted the freedom of movement of people they perceive as threats, including journalists, over the past decade, according to a Freedom House report released Thursday.
The report found that the government controls freedom of movement through travel bans, deprivation of citizenship, document control and denial of consular services. All tactics are designed to coerce and punish government critics, according to Jessica White, the report’s London co-author.
“This is a type of tactic that really shows the vindictive and punitive nature of some countries,” White said. This form of suppression “is really an attempt to stifle people’s ability to speak freely, no matter where they are.”
The report said Belarus, China, India, Nicaragua, Russia, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia were among the countries engaging in this form of repression. Freedom House based its findings on interviews with more than 30 people affected by movement restrictions.
Travel bans are the most common tactic, according to White, and Freedom House says at least 40 governments are preventing their citizens from leaving or returning to their countries.
Deprivation of citizenship is another strategy, even though it is prohibited by international law. The Nicaraguan government deprived the citizenship of more than 200 political prisoners in 2023, shortly after deporting them to the United States.
Among them was Juan Lorenzo Holmann.The president of Nicaragua’s oldest newspaper, La Prensa, said, “It’s as if I no longer exist. It’s another attack on my human rights.” He told VOA after his release. “But you can’t take away a person’s individuality. The Nicaraguan constitution says you can’t erase a person’s personal history or take away their citizenship. I’m Nicaraguan, and they can’t take that away from me.”
Lorenzo was imprisoned for 545 days before being expelled from his country, an act widely believed to be politically motivated.
Blocking access to passports and other travel documents is another tactic. For example, Hong Kong in June revoked the passports of six pro-democracy activists who were living in exile in Britain.
In some cases, governments refuse to issue passports to people, trapping them in the country. And if the individual is already abroad, embassies refuse to renew the passport, preventing the individual from traveling anywhere, including to their home country.
For example, the Myanmar embassy in Berlin refused to renew the passport of Burmese writer Ma Thida, who is in exile in Germany. Ma Thida told VOA earlier this year that the refusal was in retaliation for her writing.
White said Matida’s case was a classic example of the restrictions on movement. The German government has now issued passports reserved for those who cannot obtain them in their own country. White welcomed the move, but said it was still rare.
“The ability to freely leave our home country and return to it is something that people in democratic societies often take for granted. It is one of our fundamental human rights, yet it is being undermined and violated in many parts of the world,” White said.
Restrictions on movement can have devastating consequences, making it difficult to work, travel and visit family. Making matters worse, according to White, is the emotional toll.
“There is a huge psychological impact,” White said. “Many of our interviewees specifically mentioned the pain of being separated from their families and not being able to return to their home countries.”
In its report, Freedom House urged democratic governments to impose sanctions on actors involved in mobility controls.
White said democratic governments should do more to help dissidents, providing them with alternative travel documents if they cannot get them in their home countries.
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/FIW_2024_DigitalBooklet.pdf
source: Voice of America (VOA)
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal Source: Inter Press Service
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