GENEVA: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Russia, Mariana Katzarova, has issued a stark warning about the alarming increase in repression within Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Katzarova described the current level of repression as “unprecedented in recent history,” resembling conditions not seen since the Stalinist era.
Presenting her first report on the situation, Katzarova expressed deep concern over Moscow’s “enormous crackdown” on critics, independent media, and civil society in Russia. She noted that dissenting voices were being systematically suppressed through a series of sophisticated measures, including the introduction of new laws almost weekly to stifle criticism and dissent.
“Civic society in Russia has been closed by the authorities,” Katzarova stated during her press briefing, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. She went on to say that while the repression had not yet reached the extreme levels witnessed during the Stalinist era when millions perished in gulags, there was an urgent need for international action to prevent further deterioration.
“Now is the opportunity to not let the situation in Russia itself deteriorate to the level of the previous historical Stalinist repressions in this country,” she urged.
"The situation is grave in the #RussianFederation today"
At the @UN Human Rights Council, @KatzarovaM called upon Russian authorities to undertake comprehensive human rights reforms to redress the damage of the past 2 decades & fulfil their intl human rights obligations.#HRC54 pic.twitter.com/xlBOVvjD5P
— United Nations Human Rights Council | #HRC55 (@UN_HRC) September 21, 2023
Rights Situation in Russia
Mariana Katzarova was appointed as the first UN-backed monitor of the rights situation in Russia in April of the previous year. However, Russia has consistently denied her access to its territory and has refused to recognize her mandate. Moreover, Russia declined to participate in a recent debate about her report at the UN Human Rights Council.
While her work was widely applauded, with many ambassadors expressing alarm at her findings, Russia received support from several countries, including China, which criticized the “politicization and instrumentalization of human rights.”
Katzarova’s mandate is set to expire next month unless the UN Human Rights Council votes in favor of a resolution, proposed by the European Union, to extend it—a move strongly opposed by Moscow.
Emphasizing the importance of continuing the monitoring mission, Katzarova, who is Bulgarian, stressed that it serves as “a bridge to the Russian people” amid the increasing isolation and repression within the country.
“I think it’s important to continue, especially now, in these dark times for human rights in the Russian Federation,” she concluded.
