Pakistan convicted dissenters in absentia and targeted exiles abroad, raising alarms over transnational repression.

In early January 2026, Pakistan’s military-backed government intensified its crackdown on dissent by convicting journalists and political figures in absentia to life imprisonment over alleged links to 2023 unrest following former PM Imran Khan’s arrest. The campaign expanded internationally, with reports of suspected break-ins and arson attempts targeting Pakistani dissidents in London and the U.S., coinciding with formal extradition requests from Pakistan. Though no evidence directly ties these incidents to Pakistan’s security forces, their timing has raised concerns about transnational repression. Critics say the actions signal an authoritarian shift, risking Western relations and drawing global attention to Pakistan’s democratic decline.