Russia must stop punishing its critics at home and abroad as “traitors to the homeland“. This was stated by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation Mariana Katsarova before the UN General Assembly in New York.
Presenting her new report, Katsarova said that repression has become a common way of governing and is increasingly closely linked to the war against Ukraine. According to her, the Russian authorities are creating an image of “internal enemies“ to maintain the authoritarian model, and persecution is taking on an increasingly militarized and transnational character.
“Repression at home and aggression abroad are one policy. Transnational repression is where the two intersect,” said Mariana Katsarova.Thousands are subject to political persecution
According to data presented by the Special Rapporteur, as of September 2026, 4,968 people in Russia were subject to politically motivated criminal prosecution, and 2,178 of them were detained. The average length of sentences in such cases reached 11 years, after being under seven years in 2021.
In 2025, there were 468 convictions for treason and espionage - a 30 percent increase compared to the previous year. Katsarova pointed out that there had been no acquittals in these cases. The median length of sentences has reached 15 years, with about a third of the defendants being Ukrainian citizens, and every sixth case is against a woman.
The Russian register of “terrorists and extremists“ already contains about 22,000 names. Nearly 1,100 people were included in it while they were minors. The Supreme Court of Russia has declared the organizations “Memorial“ and “OVD-Info“ to be “extremist“.
Persecution also beyond Russian borders
Katsarova warned that the Russian authorities are persecuting actual or suspected political opponents, journalists, human rights defenders and anti-war activists who have fled abroad. Among the methods mentioned are extradition requests, abuse of Interpol mechanisms and inclusion of critics in registers whose data can be used by foreign banks and financial institutions.
Convictions in absentia have increased from four in 2022 to 157 in 2025. Legislative measures also allow for the imposition of restrictions, including asset freezes, against critics who live outside Russia. Katsarova described the consequences as a kind of “civil death“ and warned of pressure on their relatives who remain in the country.
The register of “foreign agents“ has 1,262 entries, and the number of organizations declared “undesirable” has reached 415, compared to 245 a year earlier. The Anti-Corruption Fund and the Anti-War Committee of Russia have been designated as “terrorist organizations”, which the report says exposes their supporters and donors to the risk of criminal prosecution.
Warning on recruitment and torture
The Special Rapporteur also drew attention to forced recruitment into the Russian army. According to data presented by her, citizens of more than 45 countries have been drawn into the war against Ukraine through fraud or coercion. Kenya has reported more than 1,000 of its citizens recruited into the Russian army, while Peru has identified 459 such cases, in which 11 people have died and 114 are missing.
Katsarova said that torture in Russian detention facilities remains widespread and systematic. At least 55 political prisoners have died in custody or prison since 2022. She also cited data from Ukrainian authorities, according to which 438 Ukrainian detainees have died in Russian captivity.
Russia's withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture takes effect on November 1.
Sources: bta.bg