Russia must “immediately stop” attacks on independent journalists, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded on Tuesday, the day Vladimir Putin takes office for a fifth term as president.
“The increasing repression of independent journalists must stop immediately and the right to information – a key factor in the right to freedom of expression – must be respected,” High Commissioner Volker Türk wrote in a statement released on Tuesday.
“The ongoing attacks on freedom of speech and the criminalization of independent journalism in Russia are deeply troubling,” he said, calling on Russian authorities to “immediately drop charges against journalists detained only for doing their jobs and release them.”
According to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “at least 30 journalists are currently detained in Russia on various criminal charges.”
“Of the 30 journalists imprisoned, 12 are serving sentences ranging from five and a half to 22 years in prison,” he said.
“Since March, at least seven journalists have faced administrative or criminal charges, in particular for criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine or for alleged links to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), described as “extremist.” in 2021, the organization added.
The statement was issued on the occasion of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as president for a fifth term at the helm of Russia, where he enjoys unchallenged power in the face of increasingly crushed opposition following the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Almost two months after re-elections presented by the Kremlin as a triumph (the Russian presidency), in the absence of a dissident candidate, the head of the Russian state, who is 71 years old and has been in power for almost a quarter of a century, again takes power until at least 2030.
Russian authorities appear to be “trying to further tighten their control” over the way information is disseminated, whether about domestic issues or the war in Ukraine, the UN human rights agency said in a statement.
“As a result, Russian citizens increasingly find that their access to non-government information and views is limited, limiting their ability to benefit from a variety of sources and make fully informed decisions on issues of vital public interest,” he said.
The agency, led by Volker Türk, says it is “also concerned” about the frequent use of a vast array of legislative texts aimed at combating “terrorism and extremism” and calls on authorities to restore respect for human rights.
“Journalists must be able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisal – in accordance with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” he concluded.