UN Human Rights Council Side Event Highlights Escalating Repression in Russia

Geneva, 23 September 2025 — A panel of United Nations experts, human rights defenders, and civil society leaders issued an urgent warning of a rapidly intensifying campaign of repression in the Russian Federation, calling for decisive international action to protect the country’s embattled activists, lawyers, and journalists.

The discussion, titled “Human Rights in the Russian Federation,” was held on the margins of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The event was organized by the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and the Institute for Human Rights (IHR).

The distinguished panel featured:

• Mariana Katzarova, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Russian Federation

• Lev Ponomarev, political and civil activist

• Vadim Prokhorov, human rights lawyer defending political prisoners

• Violetta Fitsner, head of the international department at OVD-Info

• Emin Huseynov, journalist and Director of the Institute for Human Rights

Together, the speakers painted a grim picture of a state machinery that has systematically dismantled civic space and is now deploying new, more severe methods to suppress dissent.

Human rights lawyer Vadim Prokhorov underscored the existential danger now facing lawyers defending political prisoners:

“Working as a human rights lawyer in Russia now actually requires heroism. You must not only be a lawyer, but you must be ready to risk your own freedom. Each lawyer can be searched, arrested, imprisoned for many years, banned from leaving the country, or even stripped of their profession. Despite this, our colleagues continue to fight for freedom and the rights of their clients.”

Prokhorov warned that this erosion of legal protection represents a direct assault on the final barrier between citizens and state violence.

Violetta Fitsner of OVD-Info presented alarming data showing how Russia’s repression has shifted from the streets to cyberspace:

“Freedom of assembly no longer exists in Russia. People know that if they go to the streets, they will be arrested. More than 3,800 people are facing politically motivated criminal prosecution, including over 1,000 for online speech, and 722 for anti-war expression. Authorities increasingly label dissenters as extremists and terrorists. Without international support, many Russian civil society organizations will simply not survive.”

She warned that the Kremlin’s use of anti-extremism and anti-terrorism legislation has turned online expression into a criminal act, leaving no safe platform for dissent.

Emin Huseynov, journalist and Director of the Institute for Human Rights, highlighted the ripple effects of repression across borders:

“When repression intensifies in Russia, it also affects its neighbors. After the Russian strike on an Azerbaijani civilian airplane in December 2024, we saw a sharp increase in repressions against the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia. Torture, discrimination, and even killings of Azerbaijani citizens have been documented. At the same time, Azerbaijan itself has carried out similar crackdowns, including the torture and arrest of Russian expatriates. No one feels safe.”

Huseynov stressed that Russia’s internal repression contributes to a wider regional cycle of fear, discrimination, and violence.

Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur, warned that Russia has entered a stage of “total escalation of repression,” using national security and terrorism laws to silence civil society:

“Lawyers are on the front line. They are often the only witnesses to torture and the despicable conditions of detention. Exiled organizations need financial support, visas, and recognition in host countries. If we strip human rights work of resources, we destroy the very fabric of civil society.”

Katzarova called on UN Member States to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and ensure that persecuted defenders can continue their work safely from exile.

Prominent civil activist Lev Ponomarev reflected on the upcoming 2026 State Duma elections, describing them as an opportunity for peaceful resistance despite state control:

“Putin’s opponents will not necessarily win seats, but they will use the campaign to speak truth, to urge people to stand against war and corruption. Even in the absence of mass protests, we see local resistance. Elections are an opportunity to give voice to this courage.”

The panel’s unified message was clear: without immediate international assistance, Russia’s civil society faces collapse.

Speakers urged governments, UN bodies, and international donors to:

1. Provide direct funding to human rights defenders, lawyers, and exiled organizations.

2. Extend and strengthen the UN mandate on the human rights situation in Russia.

3. Facilitate humanitarian visas and mobility for defenders, journalists, and activists under threat.

The event concluded with a powerful call for global solidarity with those “resisting tyranny from within” and for concrete support to preserve the last remaining spaces for truth and justice in Russia.

The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and the Institute for Human Rights (IHR) are independent organizations dedicated to defending freedom of expression and documenting human rights abuses. They work to ensure accountability, protect defenders, and promote democratic values across the region.