GENEVA (Reuters) – A United Nations expert said on Monday that the human rights situation in Russia has significantly deteriorated since it invaded Ukraine in February last year, describing a “systematic crackdown” on civil society organisations.
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“Russian authorities have severely curtailed the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, both online and offline, and have fundamentally undermined the independence of the judiciary and the guarantees of fair trial,” said a copy of the report seen by Reuters.
“An array of administrative sanctions is being applied arbitrarily against dissenters and force used against peaceful protesters,” it said.
The report by the Special Rapporteur is the first time that the 16-year-old Human Rights Council (HRC) has been mandated to examine the rights record of one of its so-called “P5” members, which hold permanent seats on the Security Council.
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There was no immediate comment from the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva.
(Reporting by Emma Farge and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Rachel More)
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