Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 28, 2025 Human rights
The abuse of national and public security laws in Russia to silence critics of the war against Ukraine has reached alarming levels, stated UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation Mariana Katsarova. She presented her new report to the UN General Assembly.
Politically motivated charges
"Over the past three years, thousands of people have been imprisoned on politically motivated charges of treason, espionage, extremism, and terrorism, often based on fabricated evidence and in closed trials, with children and the elderly among those detained," Katsarova said in the report.
"In myreport “There is a persistent trend of using national security and public safety laws as a weapon to criminalize dissent and narrow the space for civic activity,” the Special Rapporteur noted.
According to her, since 2022, the number of prosecutions for treason has increased sharply – from dozens of cases before 2020 to 760 convictions by mid-2025. Espionage, according to Katsarova, has become widely used as a tool with a broad definition, particularly in the context of the war against Ukraine.
According to her report, before the full-scale invasion, there were five cases involving defendants accused of espionage, and by mid-2025, there were 159 such cases involving 182 defendants. Often, espionage charges were combined with terrorism charges, which can lead to harsher sentences.
Initiation of cases of terrorism and extremism
In 2025, Russian courts will issue more than five terrorism-related verdicts per day, a record high. Meanwhile, the national "List of Terrorists and Extremists" has grown from 1,600 names in 2022 to over 18,000 in 2025. The list includes more than 150 children and hundreds of organizations, according to Katsarova's report.
On October 14, the Federal Security Service announced it had opened a terrorism case against 22 members of the exiled Anti-War Committee of Russia.
"This demonstrates the authorities' determination to extend repression beyond national borders," Katsarova warned.
According to her, those being persecuted include prominent opposition politicians, businessmen, journalists, lawyers, cultural figures, and academics who criticize the war against Ukraine.
The Special Rapporteur noted that on October 22, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office demanded that the Supreme Court recognize the Anti-Corruption Foundation of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny as a "terrorist organization."
According to Katsarova's report, "extremism" provisions, which have no basis in international law, are being used to persecute anti-war critics, independent journalists, and individuals associated with Navalny. The term "extremist" is also applied to members of religious and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, and the LGBT community. Hundreds of convictions for alleged "extremism" have been handed down, including over 100 in cases related to the activities of the LGBT community.
"Ukrainian prisoners are being tortured."
The report also details systematic torture and cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian custody. Most of the Ukrainian prisoners facing trial, Katsarova reports, are accused of espionage and terrorism and face lengthy prison sentences.
"Ukrainian prisoners are starved, deprived of medical care, and subjected to torture, including rape and electric shock," the Special Rapporteur said, stating that she had collected credible evidence of medical personnel's involvement in torture. "Thousands of Ukrainian civilians deported to Russia remain missing; information about their fate and whereabouts is unknown," the expert noted.
Katsarova called for the immediate release of all persons detained in Russia on political grounds, as well as for the immediate release of Ukrainian civilians in detention, including children, for accountability for torture and deaths in custody, and for an end to Russia's abuse of national and public security laws to suppress dissent and opposition to the war.
"Justice is impossible to achieve in Russia; those responsible for crimes enjoy complete impunity. When justice fails domestically, the international community must take action, including through universal jurisdiction, to bring perpetrators to justice and protect those at risk," the Special Rapporteur concluded.
Special Rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are members of special procedures Human Rights Council. Special procedures experts are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
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