Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued an urgent appeal to German authorities, requesting immediate protection for Egyptian journalist Basma Mostafa, who is reportedly facing surveillance, intimidation, and harassment instigated by Egyptian officials while in Germany.

Anja Osterhaus, Executive Director of RSF’s German section, expressed outrage over the political repression endured by Mostafa on German soil, labeling it as "scandalous". RSF emphasized that Mostafa's plight serves as a grim reminder of the persistent overreach of authoritarian regimes.

According to a report by the UN Special Rapporteurs dated December 23, 2024, Basma Mostafa has been a target of continuous surveillance and online smear campaigns, including threats of rape. These allegations highlight the severe harassment she faced during a visit by the Egyptian president to Berlin on July 18, 2022. During a demonstration, Mostafa was verbally attacked, physically assaulted, and continued to experience harassment from Egyptian state officials thereafter.

The UN Special Rapporteurs expressed significant concern about the ongoing transnational repression against Mostafa, noting, "Without wishing to prejudge the accuracy of the above-mentioned allegations, we express great concern about the repeated and prolonged harassment, acts of intimidation, and cyber-attack attempts against Ms. Mostafa, which appear to indicate that she is a victim of transnational repression in direct retribution for her work as a journalist and human rights defender."

In April 2025, former German Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights, Luise Amtsberg, affirmed Germany's strong opposition to transnational repression, defining it as a breach of international human rights standards and state sovereignty. She highlighted Germany's commitment to offering protection and safety to persecuted foreign human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition leaders.

Despite verbal assurances, RSF has urged that Germany's commitment to protecting individuals from political repression by foreign states needs to be implemented more effectively and swiftly. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Germany is a signatory to, upholds the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and privacy, principles that are currently under threat for Mostafa.

As international concern grows, the spotlight on Germany's ability and willingness to protect journalists like Basma Mostafa from extraterritorial threats intensifies, underscoring the broader challenge of safeguarding human rights in an interconnected world.