Sec. 5868. Democracy disruption in the Middle East and Africa
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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter for 5 fiscal years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing actions by relevant foreign governments that act to undermine democracy in the United States Central Command or United States Africa Command area of responsibility, including through the disruption of nascent democratic movements, transnational repression, or bolstering authoritarian governments in countries other than their own. The report required by subsection
(a)shall include the following: An assessment of whether and the extent to which relevant governments provide financial or other economic support, or technical assistance, to authoritarian leaders with the purpose of supporting— the short, medium, and long-term viability of authoritarians as head of states; or heads of states who have— conducted a coup d’etat or other seizure of power in which the military played a decisive role; undermined the independence of the judiciary; facilitated the unconstitutional removal of a portion or entirety of a democratically elected government or legislature; or removed term limits or consolidated executive authority through the unilateral cancellation or revision of a country’s constitution. A determination of whether relevant governments either directly or through third parties, throughout the United States Central Command or United States Africa Command area of responsibility— undermine electoral systems or act to discredit or overturn the results of democratic elections in other countries; assist authoritarian governments in intimidating or harassing members of civil society or in limiting the ability of members of civil society to operate without fear of criminal charges or detention; or violate international principles of nonrefoulment and the rights of asylum seekers. A list of armed groups, including militias, private military corporations, mercenaries, or paramilitaries, that receive monetary, military, or other material support from relevant foreign governments. An assessment of whether actors in the list in paragraph
(3)have committed gross violations of international recognized human rights. A detailed analysis of relevant foreign governments’ diplomatic support, whether bilaterally or in international organizations, for military or civilian leaders who meet criteria in paragraph (1)(B). An assessment of whether relevant foreign governments engage in a consistent pattern of acts of transnational repression and intimidation or harassment directed against individuals in the United States, including— funding, either directly or through third parties, the use of inauthentic social media accounts which target specific individuals in an attempt to silence, intimidate, or harass nonviolent critics or dissenters; targeted imprisonment of family members on politically motivated charges; or any other form of intimidation or harassment. The report required by subsection
(a)shall be submitted in unclassified form, but the portions of the report described in section
(b)may contain a classified annex, so long as such annex is provided separately from the unclassified report. In this section— the term “appropriate congressional committees” means— the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and the term “relevant foreign government” means the government of a country in the United States Central Command or United States Africa Command area of responsibility that— received United States security assistance, including under authorities of title 10, United States Code, during the previous 10 fiscal years; or hosts United States military personnel other than those permanently assigned to a United States Embassy in their respective countries.