scorecardresearch
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeWorldHuman rights in Russia have 'significantly deteriorated' since Ukraine war, says UN...

Human rights in Russia have ‘significantly deteriorated’ since Ukraine war, says UN expert

It is the first time the 16-year-old UNHRC has been mandated to examine the record of one of its so-called ‘P5’ members, which hold permanent seats on the Security Council.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

Geneva: The human rights situation in Russia has significantly deteriorated since it invaded Ukraine in February last year, a United Nations expert said on Monday, describing a “systematic crackdown” on civil society and calling for redress.

The report by Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova alleges that Russian authorities have carried out mass arbitrary arrests of critics of the war and says those detained risk death due to the “persistent use of torture and ill-treatment”.

It is the first time the 16-year-old U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) has been mandated to examine the record of one of its so-called “P5” members, which hold permanent seats on the Security Council.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he could not comment for the time being because he had yet seen the report.

Moscow has previously called criticism of its domestic rights record unfounded and denied targeting civilians in Ukraine, where it says it is carrying out a “special military operation” to destroy military infrastructure.

“(The expert) has documented the recent legislative restrictions that are being used to muzzle civil society and punish human rights activists and others for their anti-war stance,” the report said in its conclusions.

“The often-violent enforcement of these laws and regulations has resulted in a systematic crackdown on civil society organizations that has closed civic space and independent media,” it said.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has passed stronger laws to punish dissenters and perceived traitors.

The U.N. expert Katzarova, a former journalist from Bulgaria who led investigations during the two Chechen wars for Amnesty International, also referred to attempts by Russia to obstruct her mandate, saying such actions showed “a lack of political will to uphold its human rights obligations”.

Moscow has previously said it would not cooperate with the probe.

A debate on the report’s findings is expected at the HRC’s ongoing session in Geneva on Thursday. European Union countries are set to seek a renewal of Katzarova’s mandate. More than a dozen non-governmental organisations have written to diplomats in Geneva asking them to support the renewal, a letter showed.

(Reporting by Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Rachel More and Gareth Jones)

Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.


Also read: Russia calls on World Court to throw out Ukraine genocide challenge


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular