More than 16,000 people have been arrested in Russia in recent months for protests against the war in Ukraine, estimate experts from the United Nations (UN), who on Wednesday denounced the repression of Russian activists and journalists.
The censorship of the media and humanitarian organizations, the persecution of activists and the continuous violations of freedom of expression and association have further reduced civic space in the country,” the UN experts said in a statement.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, about 60 criminal proceedings were opened for “fake news about the war,” at least seven for “discrediting” and “calling for obstruction” of the Russian military.
In almost five months, police forces used excessive force against detainees protesting against the Russian military offensive, often resort to humiliation and threatshe pointed.
In addition, virtually all independent media outlets in the country were censored, as were dozens of foreign newspapers or journalists.
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According to experts, about twenty media outlets have been suspended in Russia, including the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, run by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov.
Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were also suppressed or blocked, while Meta, the “mother” application of WhatsApp, was removed. closed for being “a criminal organization”.
The UN urged Russia to lift restrictive sanctions and respect freedom of expression and association, as well as the work of activists and journalists.
The signatories of the document include the special rapporteurs for human rights (Mary Lawlor), freedom of peaceful assembly and association (Clément Nyaletsossi) and freedom of expression (Irene Khan).
Source: Observadora
