UN experts condemn civil society shutdown in Russia

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - UN human rights experts on Wednesday condemned the continued and heightened crackdown on civil society groups, human rights defenders, and media outlets by Russian authorities that has worsened dramatically since the Russia-Ukraine war started on Feb. 24.

The group, which includes UN special rapporteurs, called on the Russian government to stop the clampdown on civic space.

“Over the past decade, we have witnessed a decisive and systematic clampdown on civil society in Russia.” the experts said.

They said the stigmatization of civil society actors and human rights defenders as ‘foreign agents,’ their harassment and imprisonment, and shutdowns of human rights organizations contributed to “an already shrinking space."

The experts also severely restricted the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

“Since the outset of the invasion of Ukraine, this disturbing trend has deteriorated dramatically,” said the experts.

“As thousands came out to protest peacefully against the war, over 16,000 people, including many human rights defenders, have been detained for participating in or covering peaceful anti-war protests.”

The experts said the police in Russia have reportedly used excessive force against detained protesters and human rights defenders, including humiliating and threatening them.

Those providing legal assistance to protesters have allegedly also been denied access to police stations and courts by law enforcement officials.

More than 60 criminal cases have reportedly been opened for “fake war news,” and at least seven for “discrediting” and “calling for obstruction” of the use of the Russian armed forces, criminalized under amendments to the Criminal Code adopted on March 4.

“This law and other sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and association in Russia are being used to silence human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society representatives,” the experts said.

- Experts

The experts include Mary Lawlor, the special rapporteur on human rights defenders, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, the special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and Irene Khan, the special rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, along with members of the UN human rights working group.

They said the most independent Russian media outlets have closed down to avoid prosecution or have been blocked along with dozens of foreign media.

Over 20 media outlets stopped operating or suspended their work in the country, including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the last independent TV channel Dozhd, and the radio station Echo of Moscow.

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are also blocked, and Meta has been designated an extremist organization and banned, said the experts.

They said many other companies, including those in the international technology sector, are withdrawing from Russia due to reputational and legal risks.

The closures leave human rights defenders and civil society organizations with little access to the information vital for their work.

“Businesses should be mindful of human rights throughout their operations and try to help Russian human rights defenders and civil society organizations avoid complete isolation,” the experts noted.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​