GENEVA - UN Special Rapporteurs today condemned the continued strategy by Russian authorities to silence dissent, human rights advocacy and anti-war expression and suppress and destroy civil society in the guise of fighting threats to national security and public safety. They issued the following statement regarding key court hearings in April 2026:
"Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine in 2022, the Russian authorities have accelerated their assault on fundamental freedoms with the systematic dismantling of what remains of independent civil society.
In the repressive toolbox targeting civil society, the government has deployed methods like massive designations of organisations as 'undesirable' or 'foreign agent', along with the instrumentalisation of national security and public safety legislation to target lawyers, journalists, anti-war activists and human rights defenders. A key part of the government strategy has been to abuse anti-extremism and counter-terrorism provisions by designating civil society organisations as 'extremist' or 'terrorist', and bringing criminal charges, including extremism and terrorism-related, against their members or anyone associated with them, including victims of human rights violations.
To date, over 343 organisations have been labelled as 'undesirable', while more than 1,173 entities and individuals have been designated as 'foreign agents'; 830 organisations and 20,813 individuals have been placed on the 'list of terrorists and extremists.'
In a new wave of escalation, several key Russian human rights organisations have been targeted. On 9 April 2026, the Ministry of Justice requested the designation of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the 'International Memorial Movement' , as an 'extremist organisation' in a closed Supreme Court hearing. This reflects a deliberate and calculated strategy to spread fear among the Russian people and deprive them from independent information, human rights defence, advocacy and legal assistance. The move follows the liquidation of two Memorial organisations under the 'foreign agents' law and for the 'rehabilitation of Nazism' in December 2021 and the designation of the 'International Memorial Association' as 'undesirable' on 17 February 2026. If granted, the designation would expose individuals and organisations associated with Memorial to criminal liability, including imprisonment.
On 8 April 2026, six activists from the youth movement Vesna received 8-12 years of imprisonment for alleged participation in an 'extremist organisation.' The charges arise from their opposition to Russia's war against Ukraine. Vesna was designated an 'extremist' organisation by the St. Petersburg City Court on 6 December 2022, after previously being labelled a 'foreign agent.'
This strategy of repression has also targeted the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The organisation was labelled 'extremist' and designated a 'terrorist organisation' by the Supreme Court on 27 November 2025. Similarly, the Anti-War Committee of Russia was designated 'terrorist' on 2 March 2026. Public support for either organisation is criminalised. In October 2025, the Federal Security Service (FSB) opened criminal cases against 23 members of the Anti-War Committee on charges of 'terrorism.'
Indigenous human rights defenders have also been targeted. On 7 June 2024, the Supreme Court designated the non-existent 'Anti-Russia Separatist Movement,' encompassing 55 Indigenous and minority organisations, as 'extremist.' On 22 November 2024, the 'Post-Russia Free Nations Forum,' along with 172 alleged affiliates-including Indigenous organisations-was labelled 'terrorist.' Among them was Aborigen Forum, an informal network of Indigenous defenders from 14 regions across the North, Siberia, and the Far East.
On 17 December 2025, Daria Egereva and Natalia Leongardt were arbitrarily detained and charged with participation in a 'terrorist organisation' for their involvement in Aborigen Forum. Egereva also appears to have been targeted in reprisal for her engagement with the UN.
We condemn this deliberate strategy of using 'extremism' and counter-terrorism frameworks to dismantle civil society, criminalise and imprison human rights defenders, and target those seeking their support.
Russian authorities must immediately halt proceedings against human rights defenders and anti-war critics and release all those arbitrarily detained for their peaceful human rights work. We are profoundly alarmed by such blatant abuse of counter-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation to criminalise peaceful expression and anti-war positions, leading to the total destruction of civil society in Russia. This practice cannot be tolerated and must end."
