The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) expresses its deepest concern regarding the transnational repression targeting Egyptian journalist Basma Mostafa. Being subjected to systematic harassment and threats due to her work, Basma is deprived of a safe space, significantly impacting her well-being. Her case is an example of the extent to which authoritarian governments reach to silence dissent. We call upon the state of Germany to provide necessary protection for Basma, as well as for the European Union to urgently revise its decision to make Egypt a safe return country for asylum seekers.
As a result of her journalistic work in Egypt, Mostafa was arrested three times between 2016 and 2020. The ongoing persecution has pushed her into exile. While seeking refuge from the threats she had to flee from, Mostafa was faced with sustained threats, harassment, intimidation, and surveillance in multiple countries, namely Lebanon, Kenya, Germany, and Switzerland. In Europe she has experienced physical and verbal attacks, threats to herself and her family members, as well as online attacks and pressures. In an attempt to intimidate her, Basma alleges being surveilled and followed by individuals linked to the Egyptian government.
As Mostafa remains in exile, she endures transnational harassment and persecution. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, together with four other UN Special Rapporteurs expressed their concerns about the level, scope, and distinct patterns of threats and harassment Basma and other women human rights defenders and journalists in exile are facing from the Egyptian government. On 16 April 2025, the German government issued an official response to the UN Special Rapporteur’s communication regarding Mostafa’s case, saying that Germany offers protection and security to foreign human rights defenders.
Moreover, the European Union has recently announced that Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Colombia, India, and Kosovo are safe countries of origin, which would enable member states to refuse asylum visas and potentially push dissidents, journalists, and human rights defenders who have to live in exile to return and face living in precarious and unsafe conditions. This development contradicts the lived experiences of journalists in exile, while overlooking the systematic repression, arbitrary detention, and widespread human rights abuses targeting them in these countries. Such a development also denies the conditions that forced the journalists to go into exile in the first place, as well as threatening their legal protection and right to safety. Any repatriation plans under such flawed assumptions would risk silencing critical voices, and banish them to regimes that systematically suppress free expression and defend rights and liberties.
The ECPMF recognises Mostafa’s case as an example reflected in a broader context where journalists and media workers are subjected to transnational targeting. We join the call by the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Egyptian government to cease all forms of harassment against exiled journalists. Furthermore, we call on the European governments, particularly German and Swiss authorities, to ensure Mostafa’s protection and guarantee her access to the necessary support against the ongoing persecution.
Following up on the German government’s response to the UN Special Rapporteurs request, we call upon the German authorities to implement their obligations and ensure immediate relocation of Mostafa to safe housing as her living conditions were confirmed unsafe by Berlin Police due to ongoing and credible level of threat; as well as allowing Mostafa access to transparent updates on the legal processes in line with Section 406d of the German Criminal Procedure Code (StPO) which grants victims the right to be informed even before a case is closed.
It is imperative for the international community to effectively investigate cases of transnational repression that impact the livelihood of journalists, activists, and human rights defenders who are forced to live in exile. Through transnational solidarity, we can prevent authoritarian governments from using exile as a means of silencing their opponents.
The case of Egyptian journalist Basma Mostafa is not an isolated incident, and as a result, it is essential to treat it as part of a broader pattern of targeting journalists, activists, and human rights defenders in exile. ECPMF is committed to amplifying the cases where exile has not provided the necessary safety for them, and we will continue to advocate for media freedom that extends beyond borders. Therefore, we urge the Egyptian government to stop persecuting independent journalists and call on European authorities to maintain their engagement in promoting freedom of the press by providing safety for journalists and justice for those at risk. Journalists should not live in fear, regardless of where they may have to seek refuge.
