The UN News article titled "Human rights in Russia: ‘Significant deterioration’" reports on the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Mariana Katzarova, the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Russia, presented these findings to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Key points include:
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Suppression of Civil and Political Rights: Katzarova expressed grave concerns about mass arbitrary arrests and the persistent use of torture and ill-treatment, particularly against those opposing Russia’s war on Ukraine or criticizing the government.
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Lack of Judicial Independence and Fair Trial: Citing around 200 sources, the report highlights a lack of judicial independence and the right to a fair trial in Russia. There's a pattern of arresting, detaining, and harassing those who voice dissent.
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Long-term Restrictions on Rights: The report identifies a two-decade trend of incremental and calculated restrictions on human rights in Russia, culminating in the current state policy of criminalizing dissent.
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Detention of Peaceful Protesters and Use of Propaganda: Over 20,000 people were detained for participating in largely peaceful anti-war protests between February 2022 and June 2023. Reports of torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and rape in detention were noted, along with the use of propaganda to incite hatred against Ukrainians.
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Closure of Civic Space: There's an effective closure of civic space in Russia, with laws against 'foreign agents' and 'undesirable organizations' leading to the restriction and persecution of human rights defenders and independent media outlets.
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Call for Human Rights Reforms: The UN expert urged Russia to undertake comprehensive human rights reforms, although the Russian Government has not accepted the mandate of the report and denied access to the independent expert.
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Historical Context of the Report: This investigation marks the first time the Human Rights Council has authorized a rights expert to investigate human rights violations within the borders of a permanent member of the UN Security Council.