Chair,

We would like to sincerely thank the Special Rapporteur for her inaugural report and wish the Special Rapporteur every success in her new function.

Russia has time and time again demonstrated its blatant disregard for international human rights law. While Russia has continued and intensified its illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the human rights situation inside Russia has also deteriorated significantly. This follows a two-decade-long pattern of systematic restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, both online and offline, resulting in the dramatic shrinking of civic space and increasing persecution of civil society actors. Whatever room for political opposition was left was annihilated following Russia’s full-scale invasion Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The EU strongly condemns Russia’s systematic and increasing repression against civil society, human rights defenders, members of religious minorities, and conscientious objectors, as well as the unabated crackdown on independent media, individual journalists and other media workers, opposition politicians and other critical voices, as well as the spread of propaganda and disinformation. We are gravely concerned about the resulting unimpeded spread of the State-sanctioned censorship, disinformation and propaganda for war. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the mass arbitrary arrests and detentions and harassment, as well as the persistent use of torture and ill-treatment against those in detention.

We call on Russia to abolish its oppressive legislation, end political misuse of the judiciary, and immediately and unconditionally release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and those detained on politically motivated charges. We call on Russia to fully respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including by ensuring protection of journalists and other media workers, human rights defenders, lawyers, civic activists, political opposition and critical voices, as well as persons belonging to minorities, LGBTI persons, and other persons in vulnerable situations.

We call on Russia to end the climate of fear and impunity, respect and fulfil its international human rights obligations, and fully cooperate with all UN special procedures related to the human rights situation in the country.

Madam Special Rapporteur,

In your report you highlight that the human rights situation in Russia varies from region to region and you dedicate a paragraph to the North Caucasus. Could you elaborate more on this?