The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has issued a warning regarding intelligence and commando operations emanating from authoritarian states that are active within Germany, according to a report presented in 2025. This report paints an alarming picture, describing how these states are employing “state terrorism” to target their opponents, a concept German defense authorities term “Transnational Repression” (TNR).
The core purpose of TNR, the document reveals, is to silence critical voices, suppress political opposition, and maintain control over diaspora groups and individuals. Essentially, the objective is the eradication of any counter-public sphere within Germany, mirroring the tactics used by dictatorships. The BfV specifies that TNR is primarily utilized by authoritarian regimes and their affiliated networks as a mechanism for illegitimate extraterritorial exercise of power.
The victims of these activities are perceived by the foreign states as political opponents. The report details that hostile actions have predominantly targeted opposition figures, journalists, human rights defenders, and members of minority groups who are already under persecution.
Methods employed in this transnational repression are far-reaching. They include surveillance, cyberattacks-which often involve targeted disinformation campaigns-intimidation, and the denial of standard consular services. For example, a denial of passport issuance by foreign embassies in Germany could directly impact critics of figures like Putin or enemies of the Mullahs in Iran. In increasingly severe cases, these tactics escalate into extortion, kidnapping, violence, and homicide.
Modern technology plays a critical and sophisticated role in these operations. The report warns that state cyber actors have been observed infecting private end devices with surveillance software or stealing access credentials through highly targeted spear-phishing attacks.
