Paris, 14 October 2025. Behind the fight against hate, a trend of repressing dissenting voices is emerging. Titled Criminalisation and Narrative Control: Solidarity with Palestine in the Crosshairs, the report documents how Across all the countries studied, the dynamics observed since 7 October 2023 have intensified pre-existing structural trends: the continued shrinking of civic space, the weakening of democratic safeguards, the normalisation of Islamophobia, and the institutionalisation of racial profiling.
Under the guise of maintaining public order, fighting antisemitism, or protecting national security, authorities have resorted to exceptional measures such as bans on demonstrations, arbitrary arrests, repression within academic institutions, media censorship, and legislative threats. These measures often directly violate international human rights obligations. They have created a widespread chilling effect on freedom of expression and public debate, further undermining democratic participation and the voices of minority groups.
"This trend," according to Yosra Frawers, Head of the Maghreb and Middle East Desk at FIDH, "reflects a worrying shift towards the normalisation of exceptional measures in dealing with dissenting voices."
"States must guarantee everyone the right to express themselves and to mobilise peacefully, on all causes. The defence of human rights ought not to be constrained by political sensibilities," said Alice Mogwe, President of FIDH.
FIDH stresses that the growing conflation of antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israeli state policies is one of the key drivers of this repression. By equating denunciations of violations of international law with hate speech, several governments are delegitimising critical voices and fostering a climate of fear. In the countries examined, activists, journalists, academics, and elected officials have been targeted for peacefully expressing support for Palestinian rights.
A call for state accountability
FIDH reminds states that the fight against racism and antisemitism is a fundamental obligation under international law, but that it must not be misused to justify arbitrary restrictions on freedoms. The organisation calls on the relevant states to ensure the effective protection of civil liberties, to prevent any political instrumentalisation of anti-hate measures, and to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders.
This report is based on a rigorous analysis of open sources, reports from international bodies, and direct testimonies gathered from those affected. It was produced in collaboration with several FIDH member and partner organisations, including the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (France), the Center for Constitutional Rights (United States), and the Committee for the Administration of Justice (Northern Ireland).