A/HRC/RES/54/23
belonging to minorities, lawyers, political opposition representatives, and other individuals
exercising their human rights by the Russian authorities,
Expressing its deep concern at the reported mass arbitrary arrests, detentions and
harassment of the persons referred to in the previous paragraph, including persons peacefully
protesting and speaking out against the deterioration of the rule of law in the Russian
Federation and the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the
excessive use of force against these individuals, as well as at the lack of an independent
judiciary, the denial of the right to a fair trial and legal assistance of one’s choice, including
for those detained, as well as persistent impunity and unwillingness of the authorities to
investigate allegations of enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment and of
sexual and gender-based violence against persons in detention, as well as at the situation of
individuals, especially children, deported to the Russian Federation,
Expressing its concern at the mass forced shutdowns of civil society organizations,
including Memorial, the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Sakharov Centre, the SOVA Center
for Information and Analysis, the Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North and
the Man and Law human rights organization, the blocking and forced closure of nearly all
independent media outlets, including radio channels, television channels, online media and
newspapers, including Novaya Gazeta, Echo of Moscow and the television channel Dozhd,
the bans on foreign media and the targeted revocation of registration of foreign organizations
by the Russian authorities, and also at the limited access of Russian civil society to
information and communications infrastructure and to independent information, and the
increase in censorship and disinformation, as well as cybersurveillance to control information
and intimidate and silence critics,
Noting with deep concern legislative measures to increasingly restrict the freedoms of
peaceful assembly, association and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and
impart information, both online and offline, notably the laws on so-called “foreign agents”,
“extremism” and “undesirable organizations”, as amended, the law on “fake news about the
Russian army”, adopted on 4 March 2022, amending the Code on Administrative Offences
and the Criminal Code, and general prohibitions on the dissemination of information based
on vague and ambiguous notions, as well as the misuse of the court system for political
purposes, which together have the effect of suppressing peaceful, independent and pluralistic
views through the application of steep fines, arbitrary detention and lengthy prison sentences,
Concerned that legislative measures are being used by the authorities against Russian
civil society to penalize and criminalize cooperation with international organizations,
including as reprisals for cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms, and
that the enforcement of such legislation is reportedly leading to self-censorship and
dissuading civil society actors from publicly engaging with the United Nations and other
organizations,
Convinced that the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the integrity of the
judicial system and an independent legal profession are essential prerequisites for the
protection of human rights, the rule of law, good governance and democracy, and for ensuring
that there is no discrimination in the administration of justice, and that they should therefore
be respected in all circumstances,
Regretting that, despite the two postponements granted by the Human Rights
Committee, the Russian Federation did not participate in the constructive dialogue with the
Committee during its 136th session, and taking note of the Committee’s concluding
observations on the eighth periodic report of the Russian Federation,3
Recalling that the Russian Federation ceased to be a high contracting party to the
European Convention on Human Rights on 16 September 2022, and noting that 15,300
applications directed against the Russian Federation are currently pending before the
European Court of Human Rights, which remains competent to deal with cases concerning
acts or omissions which took place before that date, and noting also that the Russian
3
2
CCPR/C/RUS/CO/8.