Russia Should Respect Fundamental Freedoms

This statement was delivered on behalf of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Russia’s refusal to accept recommendations to protect freedoms of expression, association and assembly is deeply disappointing.^[1] The recent arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force by police against peaceful protesters, including children, underscores the significance of these recommendations. Russia has also refused to accept recommendations to amend its counter-terrorism and so-called “anti-extremism” legislation, which the government increasingly uses to stifle freedom of expression.^[2]

HRW also regrets that Russia rejected recommendations to repeal the laws on “foreign agents” and “undesirable organisations”,^[3] both of which negatively impact independent civil society across the country. The government is conducting smear campaigns against human rights defenders and is failing to effectively investigate attacks against them or to create an enabling environment for human rights work.

In Chechnya, the authorities have launched an attack against human rights defenders referring to them as “public enemies.” Oyub Titiev, director of the Memorial Human Rights Center’s office in Grozny, remains behind bars since January, on bogus drug-related charges. Despite accepting recommendations to investigate enforced disappearance and torture and ill-treatment of gay and bisexual men, suspected members of armed groups, alleged drug users and government critics,[4] such allegations are never effectively investigated.

During its recent review of Russia, the Committee Against Torture highlighted the widespread use of torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement and prison officials and the lack of effective criminalisation of torture.[5] Leaked videos of torture in a Yaroslavl penal colony, including of Yevgenyi Makarov, graphically illustrate the severity of these violations.

We deeply regret Russia’s rejection of recommendations to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.^[6] The organization calls on Russia to effectively investigate all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment and to hold those responsible to account in line with the accepted recommendations.^[7]