In Russia, Free Speech Can Lead to Years in Prison
Journalists face imprisonment, attacks and threats for producing "inappropriate" content.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor publishes an annual human rights report on countries that receive aid or are members of the United Nations. The report covers internationally recognized human rights, including an assessment of the state of freedom of speech and media, freedom of religion and belief, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity in each country. The assessments are based on data obtained from governments, researchers, the media, international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
We previously examined the state of freedom of speech in Europe, specifically in Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, which are making considerable efforts to silence and suppress free expression. It is unsurprising that the fight against free expression is significantly more intense in Russia.
Russian citizens are now silenced by new laws that enable authorities to punish dissidents and activists and effectively restrict freedom of speech. The authorities have imprisoned anti-war protesters and political opposition figures, harassed individuals for expressing their online opinions with relentless court proceedings, forced associations and organizations to cease their activities, and further restricted the already limited media. Last year, the authorities continued to repress the critics of the Kremlin, including those who had fled abroad.
Russia also continued its war in Ukraine, during which Russian troops and officials have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and abuses. People have been summarily executed, tortured, raped, and assaulted. Civilians, including children, have been killed and injured or deported to Russia, and civilian infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Reports indicate that Ukrainian citizens living in Russia have been arrested, detained, and prosecuted for politically motivated reasons. According to multiple sources, they have been tortured to extract confessions that suit the authorities.
According to the US State Department, a number of Russian citizens have also been arbitrarily or unlawfully killed, many have “disappeared,” while others have been tortured or treated in a cruel, inhuman, or degrading manner. Freedom of speech and media are severely restricted in the country, journalists are constantly subjected to violence or threats of violence, and they have also been unjustly arrested and brought to trial. Censorship is rampant, religious freedom is restricted, and there is significant level of human trafficking, including forced labor and child labor.
A Wide Range of Laws and Regulations Suppress Freedom of Speech and the Press in Russia
Although freedom of speech and the press are guaranteed by the Russian Constitution, these rights exist only on paper. In practice, the government increasingly restricts everyone’s right to express themselves freely. New decrees have been introduced that enable the authorities to readily silence dissent and criticism and punish those who express differing opinions.
For example, the state has banned the dissemination of “incorrect socially meaningful information, distributed under the guise of correct information, which creates a threat of damage to the lives and health of citizens or property, a threat of mass disruption to the public order and security, or a threat of creating an impediment to the functioning of life support facilities, transport infrastructure, banking, energy, industry, or communications.” Many symbols are prohibited, and it is forbidden to show disrespect for the state, authorities, social institutions, the flag, or the Constitution on the internet, as well as to promote non-traditional sexual relationships or drugs. Minors must not be encouraged to participate in dangerous activities or activities that threaten public order, and the latter two grounds have been used to bring charges against individuals who have published protest materials online. Moreover, the state approach the notion of extremism in a very broad manner, allowing the authorities to easily abuse the term to punish citizens for peaceful protests, involvement in religious groups, published articles, and social media posts.
Advertisers are not allowed to cooperate with “foreign agents,” which hinders the funding of independent media outlets. The Federal Security Service (FSB) has made a separate list of topics by which individuals who have been gathering information could be labeled as “foreign agents” in view of their information being “used against Russia's security.” The list includes, for example, information and assessments regarding the country’s military, the security sector, and the space agency Roskosmos. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice maintains a list of “foreign agents.” The designation of “a foreign agent” may be given to any person who has distributed foreign media to an unspecified audience, received financial support from a foreign country, or “acted in the interests of a foreign country.” Such a person must register with the Ministry of Justice, and the information they publish must be labeled as having been “produced by a foreign agent.” According to Reporters Without Borders, in August last year, 292 media outlets were among the 810 organizations designated as “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.”
The state media watchdog Roskomnadzor has the authority to block websites if it believes they violate the rights of citizens. Roskomnadzor has frequently warned newspapers and websites that it suspects of publishing extremist material, and three warnings are considered sufficient to initiate proceedings for closure. If the prosecutor or their deputy considers the site justifying extremism or terrorism, the website can be blocked without a court ruling.
As of October, according to media reports, at least 4,458 websites have been blocked since February 2022 for covering Ukraine-related topics, including 3,617 news portals. Eighty-one media outlets in 25 European countries have been blocked because the European Council decided to block access to four websites accused of spreading Russian war propaganda in the EU. However, according to the internet freedom organization Roskomsvoboda, the state has blocked more than 15,000 websites for allegedly discrediting the Russian armed forces, and according to the organization's data, a total of nearly 2 million websites have been permanently blocked.
Most of Russian Media Outlets Are Under Government Control
Most media outlets are controlled by the government through direct ownership or oligarchs aligned with the state. State-controlled media outlets often receive benefits, such as the right to use state buildings without paying rent, and preferential tax rates. State and pro-government television channels are supported by the Ministry of Finance to produce “state-approved content,” and the government increasingly dictates editorial policies.
Censorship and self-censorship are widespread across television, print media, and the internet. As a result, ordinary citizens only see the news that have been approved by the government. Coverage of many topics is severely restricted, particularly Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, as well as political prisoners, environmental issues, electoral issues, corruption, criticism of local or federal authorities, and any discussions of separatism or federalism.
Telecommunications companies are required to store user data, purportedly on a temporary basis, and share it with security agencies. Observers believe that security services can intercept and decrypt encrypted messages on at least some of the messaging platforms.
Social media platforms are also under increasing pressure to censor posts and remove “inappropriate content,” particularly any content related to the war in Ukraine. Search engines and news aggregators with over a million users per day are held accountable for the accuracy of the disseminated information and may face substantial fines for violations. Social media users are also punished for posts, shares, and “likes” if the authorities deem the content to be political, religious, or otherwise ideological. Some may face fines, while others can be imprisoned.
Russian Journalists and Activists Who “Stray” Face Harsh Punishments, or “Disappear”
Journalists who “stray” by publishing content deemed inappropriate by the state have been arrested, imprisoned, attacked, harassed, or intimidated, and charged with extremism and other crimes under vague legal provisions. Journalists who have dared to expose government corruption or criticize the authorities have been treated particularly harshly. For example, in March last year, the authorities arrested Antonina Favorskaya, a journalist and photographer for the news portal SotaVision, because she had reported on Alexei Navalny’s trial, imprisonment, and funeral. Favorskaya and her colleagues Konstantin Gabov, Sergei Karelin, and Artyom Kriger were convicted in April this year of being members of an “extremist” organization and of “promoting extremism”, and were sentenced to spend years behind bars.
Reports indicate that authorities have used facial recognition technology to identify and detain protest participants, often resulting in wrongful arrests. In addition to political opponents, the lawyers of these political prisoners have also been targeted, for example, members of Alexei Navalny’s legal team now face years in prison.
Various groups have also supported the authorities, preventing journalists from publishing material deemed objectionable. For example, Alexander Skvortsov, a journalist for the Telegram channel Izhevsk Boom, claimed that three unknown men kidnapped him in January last year. The journalist was reportedly tied up, gagged, and beaten because he had criticized a company that manufactured drones in one of his articles.
Activists and journalists have disappeared, often with the involvement of government agencies or the police. This practice has been particularly prevalent in the North Caucasus for both political and financial reasons. Reports from the region document political activists being kidnapped, as well as women who have fled domestic violence. For example, in May 2024, 19-year-old Chechen Liya Zaurbekova broadcast her attempted abduction live from a Moscow police station, where her family members and government officials were trying to force her to return to Chechnya. However, Liya feared physical and psychological violence there at home. The circumstances were similar to a case in 2023, when Seda Suleimanova was taken from a police station in St. Petersburg to Chechnya and has since been declared a missing person. The transfer from the police station enabled Liya Zaurbekova to flee Russia, after which she has spoken widely about domestic violence, the situation of women in Chechnya, and her fear of Ramzan Kadyrov’s regime.
People Are Often Held in Custody for Extended Periods without Charge, and “Correct” Confessions Are Extracted Through Torture
Although the law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, as well as torture, the authorities have engaged in these practices with impunity. According to observers and defense lawyers, pre-trial detention periods have often been prolonged, even though they should legally be limited to two months, particularly in cases of public interest. The courts routinely reject challenges to detention since judges have no independent authority.
Moreover, it has been especially difficult for those arrested for politically motivated reasons to find themselves a defense attorney, as doing so often results in the defense lawyer being charged as well, as was the case with Alexei Navalny’s legal team. The accused should have the right to choose their own lawyer, but frequently, investigators appoint a lawyer who colludes with them. These so-called “pocket” defense attorneys then make no effort to defend their clients. There are numerous cases, particularly in remote areas, where the accused have had no defense attorney at all.
Additionally, there are instances where the accused are held in isolation prior to formal charges and subjected to torture, beating, or rape to force them to make the “required” confession. For example, Human Rights Watch reported in March that security services tortured four Tajik suspects accused of involvement in the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall, which killed 145 people. According to reports, methods included electric shocks, suffocation, eye gouging, ears mutilation, and forced feeding.
Systematic abuse of suspects by the police typically occurs in the first few days after arrest in pre-trial detention. According to human rights groups and former police officers, the police most often use electric shocks, suffocation, and manipulating joints and ligaments, as these methods are less likely to leave visible marks. This problem is particularly severe in the North Caucasus.
The authorities make far greater use of compulsory psychiatric “treatment” for those accused of holding dissenting political views. According to the US State Department, at least 35 people underwent such “treatment” last year. Those who have undergone it, have described being humiliated, beaten, and administered strong antipsychotic drugs. Individuals were detained under the pretext of psychiatric evaluation in order to pressure them or punish them.
Increasing Reports of Children Forced to Work in Harsh Conditions in Russia
The Russian law prohibits the worst forms of child labor, meaning that children are barred from working in unhealthy or dangerous conditions, underground, or in environments that threaten their health or development. However, due to labor shortage following the invasion of Ukraine, the government has relaxed many of the restrictions on child labor that had previously applied to minors under 18. Consequently, the authorities introduced incentives for minors to enter the labor market, such as tax breaks for employers, less stringent working conditions, and extended working hours for children.
However, these incentives for the employment of children and youths tend to mask far more serious problems, such as forced labor and inadequate protection against workplace accidents. For example, interviews with parents and students reveal that children as young as 15 are forced to work extremely long hours, often 12 hours or more a day, oftentimes without any breaks or meals, and in hazardous conditions. While orphans, street children, and migrants are particularly vulnerable in the cities, poverty in rural areas has at times forced families to send their children off to work. In addition to exploitative labor, children subjected to forced work are often exposed to physical and mental abuse.
Russia Pressures Foreign Countries to Repress Citizens Who Have Fled
According to a US State Department report, Russian authorities have killed or kidnapped individuals or used violence or threatened violence against citizens who have fled abroad.
For example, in February 2024, Maksim Kuzminov, who had deserted from the Russian army and was hiding in Spain under an assumed identity, was killed in Villajoyosa, Spain. According to Spanish media reports, 9 mm Makarov cartridges, which are standard ammunition in the former Soviet bloc, were left at the scene, and Spanish intelligence services attributed the killing to the Kremlin. Another example is Pavel Sulyandziga, an indigenous activist who sought political asylum in the United States and who, for his criticism of the war in Ukraine, faces accusations of “discrediting the military” and has been repeatedly harassed by the FSB, with his son questioned and threatened in Vladivostok.
Russia has also revoked the passports of dissidents and refused to provide them with consular services. The purpose of such measures appears to be to undermine the legal status of these individuals, restrict their freedom of movement, and force them to return to Russia. There, they are likely to be arrested on charges of “extremism” or other similar offenses. For example, the government revoked the passport of Alesya Krivtsova, who lives in Norway, demanding that she returned to Russia to obtain a new passport. Krivtsova has criticized the Russian government and the war in Ukraine.
The Russian authorities are also attempting to pressure foreign countries to take adverse measures against specific individuals. For example, the government tried to pressure Thailand to deport the Russian-language rock band Bi-2 back to Russia. Although the attempt to deport the band, which had made anti-war statements, failed, the band’s concerts in Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates were canceled.
PROPOGANDA
Soon to be the policy in the West.