2023-07-20 01:59:00
A protester against the invasion of Ukraine is arrested in Moscow in February 2022. © Daniil Danchenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
The Russian authorities use increasingly cruel tactics to suppress activism against war in the country itself when its all-out war of aggression against Ukraine is 500 days old. A new Amnesty International publication exposes the various repressive laws and practices used by Russia to stifle the anti-war movement at home, the application of which has already subjected more than 20,000 people to harsh reprisals.
“Russian repression has deep roots and a range of complex and broad-based tactics are increasingly being used as weapons to silence anti-war dissent. Those who peacefully protest against the war in Ukraine and those who share critical information about the Russian military face harsh criminal, administrative and other penalties. New and absurd laws that criminalize those who freely express their opinions. The flawed criminal justice system, characterized by grossly unfair trials, has been deployed to hand out prison sentences and heavy fines aimed at silencing critics of even the slightest dissent,” said Oleg Kozlovsky, Russia Researcher at Amnesty International.
Administrative proceedings are frequently used against anti-war protesters, effectively lacking guarantees of a fair trial. Judges often dismiss compelling defense evidence, relying solely on sometimes blatantly false police reports, to find protesters in violation of public assembly regulations or committed absurd newly defined “disparagement” offences, and impose heavy fines or administrative detention. In 2022, more than 21,000 people were punished for this type of “crime” in Russiaof which 2,307 received administrative detention and the rest were sentenced to pay large fines, mainly for participating in peaceful street protests against the war or criticizing it on the Internet.
Since the introduction at the beginning of the total invasion of Ukraine of the crimes of “knowingly disseminating false information about the use of the Armed Forces” and “repeated discrediting of the Armed Forces or state agencies”, more than 150 people have been the subject of criminal proceedings accused of these charges. Under these laws, many have already been convicted and sentenced to long terms of up to 15 and 7 years in prison, respectively.
Among those affected is the amateur radio host Vladimir Rumyantsevfrom Vologda (in the north of Russia), who was sentenced to three years in prison for broadcasting information about the war from independent media outlets from his apartment and bloggers banned by the authorities. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, as he has been convicted solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression. He must be released immediately and unconditionally.
In addition, the Russian authorities have deployed a long list of brazen tactics used to harass, pressure and intimidate critics, including arbitrary dismissals, the cancellation of concerts and other public events involving anti-war individuals, and coerced video “apologies”.
Amnesty International has also documented a growing trend of labeling people known to be “foreign agents” specifically for their public criticism of the war. These arbitrary designations often lead to the imposition of severe restrictions on their personal and professional activities, loss of employment and the stigma of being branded as a spy or traitor.
Amnesty International urges the Russian authorities to repeal these repressive laws, immediately and unconditionally release all those jailed solely for peacefully expressing their views, and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is protected.
“We call on the international community to bring these cases before the Russian authorities and support persecuted activists in Russia and abroad by attending court hearings, ensuring fair and effective asylum procedures, and strengthening international mechanisms to address human rights violations in Russia,” concluded Oleg Kozlovsky.
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