Frameworks and mechanisms of anti-money-laundering and countering terrorism-financing (AML/CFT) were originally set up to fight crime. But increasingly, governments misuse them to silence critics – such as weaponising them in 'foreign agent’ and ‘foreign interference’ laws. Often, they can also be abused to enable transnational repression – that is, harassing dissidents and activists outside their home countries. While this trend is very dangerous and impacts people’s lives, health and freedoms, the connection also opens opportunities to fight back against these restrictions. For example, raising awareness about issues among the Egmont group (international organisation of Financial Intelligence Units) or the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) can help protect activists and organisations.
Through consultative meetings with civil society experts and activists, the research identified 6 concrete pathways to advocate for greater protections for civil society.
What you'll find in this paper:
- Analysis of the ways foreign agent and interference laws are combined with and have misused AML/CFT standards or frameworks to harrass organisations and activists;
- Analysis of how AML/CFT mechanisms have been used to facilitate financial transnational repression – that is, freezing bank accounts or blocking transactions to cut activists off from resources;
- How civil society, activists, institutions, banks and regulators can fight against these dangerous practices.
Read the study: