Report shows how tools to fight terrorist financing help authoritarian gov’ts punish opponents

A new report delves into how authoritarian governments, including Turkey, misuse international anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing (AML/CFT) regulations to suppress political opponents, targeting individuals and organizations through asset freezes, financial blacklisting and false terrorism designations.

The report, authored by legal experts and published by Solidarity with Others, a Belgium-based human rights organization, details how Turkey has leveraged Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards to justify transnational repression. It presents case studies, including Belgium-based educator and human rights activist S.T. and the humanitarian aid organization Time to Help Belgium, both of whom faced financial restrictions based on politically motivated allegations.

Since a failed coup in 2016, Turkey has used broad terrorism laws to crack down on dissidents, particularly those associated with the Gülen movement. The report cites the European Court of Human Rights and Freedom House, which have criticized Turkey’s counterterrorism policies as tools of repression rather than legitimate security measures.

S.T. was designated as a terrorist in a financial intelligence database after Turkish media falsely accused him of terrorism, leading to the closure of his personal and organization bank accounts. In a separate case Turkey froze the assets of the Time to Help Belgium in 2024, prompting financial institutions to cut ties with the organization despite its compliance with Belgian law.

The report calls for greater oversight of financial intelligence providers such as World-Check, stricter verification of terrorism designations and international action to prevent FATF standards from being exploited by repressive regimes. It warns that without safeguards, counterterrorism measures risk becoming tools for silencing critics rather than combating actual threats.