ADC Memorial and ICIPR submitted an input for a thematic report on the situation of human rights defenders working in rural and remote areas. The report is being prepared by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to be presented in 2025.
ADC Memorial and ICIPR inform the Special Rapporteur about the repression against independent defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation and draw attention to the following problems:
- Criminalization of human rights work (inter alia, inclusion of Indigenous groups into the register of “extremist organisations”);
- Suppression of freedom of speech and association, violent suppression of peaceful protests, including those related to environmental issues closely associated to the agenda of Indigenous peoples’ rights;
- Substitution of independent human rights defenders by pro-government ones and the use of loyal Indigenous activists to promote the Russian agenda at the international level, including with the aim of lifting sanctions
- Obstacles in obtaining asylum in other countries by activists and defenders of the rights of Indigenous peoples forced to leave Russia (as in the case of Saami Indigenous people activists seeking asylum in Norway).
The authors of the input address the following recommendations to the Special Rapporteur:
- Pay attention to the destructive activities of the authorities of the Russian Federation on international platforms, in particular, in the UN and its relevant bodies related to the rights of Indigenous peoples (Expert Mechanism, Permanent Forum); prevent attempts by representatives of Russia to influence the selection of participants in international conferences from among representatives of minorities and Indigenous peoples.
- Call Russia to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples, including guarantees of freedom of speech, expression, association, and free and independent activity of human rights defenders.
- Call Russia to repeal repressive legislation on “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations”.
- Urge migration authorities of the countries where defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples seek asylum to take into account the real risks associated with the criminalization of human rights activities by the Russian authorities, avoid both delays of the asylum procedure and extradition.