UN urges Russia to halt 'crackdown' on journalists

GENEVA

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk called Tuesday for an immediate halt to what he called Russia's intensifying "crackdown" on journalists and attacks on free speech.

Turk said he was troubled by the increasing number of journalists being charged, convicted and jailed in Russia, in an intervention coming less than an hour before Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn into office for a fifth term.

"The continuous attacks on free speech and the criminalisation of independent journalism in Russia are very troubling," Turk said.

"The intensification of the crackdown on journalists's independent work must immediately cease and the right to inform — a key component of the right to freedom of expression — needs to be upheld."

Turk's statement said that since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the number of imprisoned journalists in Russia had reached an "all-time high".

It said that at least 30 journalists were currently being detained in Russia under a variety of criminal charges. Of those, 12 are serving prison sentences ranging from five and a half years to 22 years in jail.

"The Russian authorities appear to be attempting to further strengthen control of the narrative, both around domestic issues and the conduct of hostilities in Ukraine," said Turk.

"As a result, people in Russia have increasingly restricted access to non-state information and viewpoints, which hampers their ability to benefit from diverse sources and make fully informed decisions on matters of vital public interest."

Putin, 71, has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition.

"I am also concerned about the frequent use of the broad legislative framework to combat terrorism and extremism," said Turk, calling on the Russian authorities to amend the legislation to comply fully with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality under international human rights law.

"Journalists should be able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals — in line with Russia's international human rights obligations," he said.

"I call on the authorities to immediately drop charges against journalists detained solely for doing their jobs, and to release them."