UN Special Rapporteurs have raised alarms about ongoing efforts by Russian authorities to stifle dissent and suppress civil society under the guise of national security and public safety. These measures have targeted over 343 organizations, labeling them “undesirable,” while 1,173 individuals and groups have been designated as “foreign agents” and 830 organizations along with 20,813 individuals appear on terrorist and extremist watch lists, according to reports.
Efforts to suppress fundamental freedoms have intensified since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. Numerous human rights organizations and activists have been targeted, escalating the repression considerably. The Vesna youth movement is one such example, where six activists were recently sentenced to prison terms ranging from 8 to 12 years. This move has been part of what UN experts termed a “repressive toolbox” designed to target lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders.
The Russian Ministry of Justice’s recent attempt to label the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the International Memorial Movement, as an “extremist organization,” adds to the concern. This decision was criticized as a tactic to instill fear and cut off Russian citizens from independent information and legal assistance. The Memorial Human Rights Defence Center echoed these concerns, emphasizing the strategy is a bid to silence dissenting voices.
Furthermore, other groups such as Indigenous human rights defenders have not been spared. In June 2024, the Russian Supreme Court grouped 55 Indigenous and minority organizations to label them “extremist,” a move condemned by the International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia. This classification led to the detention of Daria Egereva and Natalya Leongardt due to their involvement with the Aborigen Forum.
International organizations have not been exempt from these restrictive measures. For instance, Human Rights Watch (HRW) was outlawed as an “undesirable organisation,” thereby criminalizing affiliation with it. Simultaneously, Russian authorities pursued a case against the feminist band Pussy Riot, aiming to label them extremists, and the Anti-Corruption Foundation initiated by Aleksei Navalny was marked as a “terrorist organization.” HRW also reported increased online censorship, including disruptions to internet access and the blocking of popular platforms like Telegram in Russia.
In response to these developments, international reactions have been swift, with calls urging Russia to reconsider its current course. Organizations such as the European Union, in a statement, stressed the urgency of addressing these infringements on civil liberties.