Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
January 26, 2026 Human rights
UN Group of Independent Experts stated that restrictions imposed by the European Union on a number of scientists, researchers and analysts negatively impact the exercise of their fundamental rights.
The EU is imposing restrictive measures on individuals who worked at Russian state universities, participated in international forums, published books, wrote analytical papers, or maintained blogs. The EU believes that these individuals' statements coincided with Russia's official position or could be perceived as reflecting it.
Independent UN experts believe that such measures are creating a climate of fear in the academic community. Scientists around the world are becoming afraid to express their opinions, refusing to participate in international projects, publish, and teach. As a result, the space for free scholarship and debate is shrinking.
Among the actions used to justify unilateral sanctions were public criticism of unilateral sanctions regimes, political analysis of the factors that led to the armed conflict against Ukraine, academic commentary on issues of contemporary international politics, and discussions of the feasibility of cooperation between the Global South and the Russian Federation.
"Persecution, intimidation, or stigmatization of individuals for their position constitutes a violation of their right to freedom of expression," the experts emphasized. "Any attempt to coerce anyone into accepting a particular point of view is unacceptable."
The statement's authors note that the sanctions have grave practical consequences. Some scientists are losing their jobs, are unable to access banking services, travel freely, or afford a decent living.
UN experts called on the European Union to comply with its international obligations and lift sanctions against scientists and analysts.
The statement was signed by five UN Special Rapporteurs. As a reminder, independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN employees and do not receive a UN salary for their work.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.