New Lines Institute for Strategy & Policy brings together legal, academic and policy experts to analyze transnational authoritarian practices and develop policy responses grounded in law and democratic norms.
Washington, D.C., Jan. 7, 2026 – New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy launched the Transnational Repression Working group on Capitol Hill today, driving forward policy to enhance the ability of democratic states to counter transnational repression (TNR). As the first of its kind, this working group will convene academic experts to combat a growing trend of foreign governments breaching U.S. sovereignty to target perceived dissidents.
Members of the TNR Working Group include leading experts and advocates such as Dr. Ted Bromund of Bromund Expert Witness Services, Dr. Suparna Chaudhry of Lewis & Clark University, Dr. Tenzin Dorjee of Columbia University and the Tibet Action Institute, and Dr. Gerasimos Tsourapas of the University of the University of Birmingham, among others.
The launch event opened with remarks from Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, who underscored the growing urgency of addressing transnational repression. “I applaud New Lines Institute for this initiative, and we need more expert attention to this growing problem, because it is a growing problem,” McGovern said.
The TNR Working Group will be chaired by Dr. Elise Anderson, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the New Lines Institute, and build upon the Institute’s existing lines of research on TNR and authoritarian overreach. The mandate of the working group is to:
- Bring together prominent scholars and legal experts to exchange ideas and produce forward-looking policy reports on how to best counter TNR;
- Provide scholars opportunities to put policy-focused research in front of policymakers in North America and Europe;
- Bridge the gap between academic research on TNR and the governmental policymaking process.
“Having faced few consequences, authoritarian leaders feel as emboldened as ever to perpetrate repression beyond their countries’ borders, in the process threatening fundamental rights and security. For several years now, advocates in the United States and around the world have called for greater legislative action. Parts of the U.S. government has heeded their call, but far more remains to be done,” said Dr. Elise Anderson during the launch event. She added: “The movement to counter TNR in the U.S. currently facing challenges as domestic and foreign policy winds shift. New Lines is proud to launch this working group at such a critical moment, helping to chat the path forward alongside other institutions working to counter TNR.”
The launch event featured remarks from Members of Congress, civil society representatives, and leading scholars, underscoring the urgency of coordinated action to counter authoritarian influence and protect democratic institutions and promoting the Transnational Repression Policy Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Congress in August 2025.
The Capitol Hill launch event will be followed up by similar events in various democratic capitals, including London, Brussels, and Ottawa.
To learn more about New Lines Institute’s Transnational Repression research and analysis, visit here.
For media inquiries, contact Charles Walsh at [email protected]
About New Lines
New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is a global think tank based in Washington, D.C., working to enhance U.S. foreign policy based on a deep understanding of the geopolitics of the different regions of the world and their value systems. Funding for New Lines is provided by the Washington Institute for Education and Research, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Washington, D.C.
