“The escalating crackdown on independent journalists’ work must stop immediately and the right to information – a key enabler of the right to freedom of expression – must be respected,” the High Commissioner, Volker Türk, said in a statement on Thursday. “The continuing attacks on freedom of expression and the criminalization of independent journalism in Russia are deeply disturbing,” he stressed, calling on the Russian authorities to “drop all charges against journalists detained solely for carrying out their work and release them.” According to the UN Human Rights Office, “at least 30 journalists are currently detained in Russia, facing various criminal charges.” “Of the 30 journalists deprived of their liberty, 12 are serving sentences ranging from five and a half to 22 years in prison,” it said. “Since March, at least seven journalists have been subjected to administrative or criminal charges, notably for criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine or for alleged links with the jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which was labelled as ‘extremist’ in 2021,” the UN agency added. The statement was issued as Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term as Russia’s President, where he has enjoyed unchallenged power in the face of increasingly repressive opposition since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Almost two months after a re-election portrayed as a triumph by the Kremlin (Russian presidency), in the absence of any dissenting candidacy, the 71-year-old Russian Head of State, who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century, is back at the helm until at least 2030. The Russian authorities appear to be “trying to further tighten their grip” on the way information is disseminated, whether on domestic issues or on the war in Ukraine, the UN human rights agency said in the statement. “As a result, Russian citizens see their access to non-State information and views increasingly restricted, hindering their ability to benefit from diverse sources and to make fully informed decisions on matters of vital public interest,” it stressed. The agency headed by Volker Türk said it was “also concerned” about the frequent use of a broad array of legislation aimed at countering “terrorism and extremism”, and called on the authorities to restore respect for human rights. “Journalists must be able to work in a safe environment, without fear of reprisals – in line with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” it concluded.

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