The human rights situation in Russia has significantly deteriorated since it invaded Ukraine in February last year, a United Nations expert said on September 18, describing a "systematic crackdown" on civil society and calling for redress. The report by Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova, seen by Reuters, alleges that Russian authorities have carried out mass arbitrary arrests of critics of the war and says those detained risk death due to the "persistent use of torture and ill-treatment." It is the first time the UN Human Rights Council has been mandated to examine the record of one of its so-called "P5" members, which hold permanent seats on the Security Council. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
Human Rights In Russia Have 'Significantly Deteriorated,' UN Rapporteur Finds
Playwright Svetlana Petriychuk looks out from a cage prior to a court hearing in Moscow on June 30 on charges of "justifying terrorism."