On 31 October 2025, CHREN held a Human Rights Colloquium to address the growing challenge of transnational repression, a topic of concern for many of us working within FAU, including members of a current FAU Human Rights Clinic project in collaboration with the German Institute for Human Rights and members of the Transforming Human Rights project.
China and Russia are amongst the most important perpetrator states of transnational repression through a wide range of strategies from digital surveillance, monitoring and intimidation to physical assault, abductions and assassination. Our two invited speakers, Polina Kurakina and Dr Teng Biao, were uniquely qualified to speak to these topics, providing us not only with a wealth of insights into, and indeed experience of, the repressive tactics of the two countries, but also their assessment of the profound challenges that transnational repression poses to its ‘host states’ – including Germany – and more widely, to the rules-based international order.
Discussion brought out further examples and nuances of our understanding of how transnational repression works, including how it affects different target communities differently, at times intensifying vulnerabilities such as gender and/or ethnoreligious identity. It also allowed participants to share their strategies, disappointments and hopes for advocacy addressing host state responsibilities to protect against transnational human rights violations. The event was chaired by Eva Pils and it was made possible by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation funding. It was held under a modified Chatham House Rule to protect other participants.
About the Speakers
Dr. Teng Biao is a human rights lawyer and a Visiting Fellow at the Chair for Human Rights Law, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). He holds a PhD in law from Peking University and has previously served as Lecturer at the China University of Politics and Law in Beijing, Pozen Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago, Hauser Human Rights Scholar at Hunter College (City University of New York), and as a visiting fellow at the New York University, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study. Dr. Teng co-founded two human rights NGOs in Beijing – the Open Constitution Initiative in 2003 and China Against the Death Penalty in 2010. His current research covers China’s human rights, social movements, law and politics, and transnational repression. His Visiting Fellowship at FAU is made possible by support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Polina Kurakina is an international litigation lawyer and advocacy specialist at OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights media project aimed at combating political persecution. As a practitioner, she has worked on a wide range of projects related to human rights in Russia, particularly focusing on freedom of speech, assembly, and association. She has participated in high-profile complaints before the Russian Constitutional Court, including a campaign against laws criminalising anti-war speech.
Organized by the FAU Research Center for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU CHREN), our inter- and transdisciplinary brings together scholars and practitioners to discuss current issues in human rights research and practice.Colloquia are organised on a rolling basis and are co-convened by Dr. Janina Heaphy and Prof. Dr. Eva Pils. Events are invitation-only. Enquiries should be directed to the co-conveners and/or to humanrights@fau.de.
