60th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council
Item 4: ID with the Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation
22 September 2025
Mr. President,
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report and agree with her that the situation has continued to deteriorate.
The Russian government seeks to intimidate its critics into silence, especially those who criticize its war in Ukraine, independent reporters and writers, people who have supported peaceful political opposition. As of August 2025, Russia's political prisoners list by Memorial, a leading rights group, recorded 1,024 individuals, up from 776 a year ago.
Authorities strive to isolate Russians from information that is critical of the government and prevent them having any access to online services and information deemed "hostile."
Since August 2024, authorities have banned another 67 organizations as "undesirable," and the courts have imposed at least 185 penalties for "participating" in the activities of "undesirables, including" prominent media outlets. 641 people have been criminally prosecuted on bogus charges of "false information" or "discreditation" of Russian armed forces since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In total, 1,181 have faced criminal prosecution for opposing Russia's war, and 336 people remain imprisoned.
Authorities continued censoring online information about Russia's war in Ukraine, blocking more than 25,000 websites on such grounds. A new law penalizes people for "intentionally searching" for extremist materials online.
Based on Russia's Supreme Court ruling outlawing "the International LGBT Movement" as an "extremist organization," courts imposed at least 101 penalties, mainly for displaying the rainbow flag.
Migrants from Central Asian countries are increasingly scape goated, facing ethnic profiling, arbitrary arrests, harassment by police and violent attacks by ultra nationalist groups.
The Special Rapporteur's mandate must be renewed as it is an essential independent voice to monitor, document and report on the Russian government's escalating human rights violations against people voicing peaceful criticism.
Thank you.
