The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has highlighted the ongoing deterioration of human rights in Russia, in a report published on Tuesday. The report accused the Russian government of engaging in “systematic human rights abuses” as part of a “government strategy to control all spheres of life, both public and private, and to suppress dissent towards its aggressive foreign policy of waging war.”
According to the report, the Russian government has deliberately restricted freedom of expression, political and public participation, freedom of association and the cultural expression of its citizens through its “foreign agent” legislation. This law imposes “burdensome requirements” on media outlets and journalists, forcing them to register or face criminal prosecution, asset seizures, or other punitive actions. The reports stated that “[t]he Ministry of Justice has significantly accelerated the rate of designating foreign agents,” with the number of such designations nearly doubling since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The report also documents the Russian government’s effort to limit access to fair trials and undermine legal professionals. Federal laws passed in April further curtailed the independence of bar associations. Many attorneys defending clients charged with political or national security offenses now face disbarment, detention or designation as “foreign agents.”
In addition to legal restrictions, the UNHRC report outlines widespread limitations on public gatherings under Russia’s Public Events Act, which requires nearly all public demonstrations to receive approval from federal or local authorities. The report also documented the persecution of indigenous and LGBTQ groups, which the Russian government has labeled as “extremist organizations.” Russia has previously banned all positive promotion of LGBTQ+ issues and public displays of non-heterosexual relationships, targeting all groups that allegedly seek “to destroy the multinational unity and territorial integrity of Russia.”
Finally, the report further called attention to Russia’s expansive censorship laws, which grant the government authority to ban or censor social media and internet sites.
In its recommendation, the UNHRC urged Russia to immediately implement measures to restore the rule of law, including the release of political prisoners, the repeal of “foreign agent” and censorship laws, and concrete protections for vulnerable groups and minority populations.
Russia did not cooperate with UNHRC’s requests to assist in completing the report and has not responded to the claims.
