Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on February 24, the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch has counted more than 13,500 arrests in Russia of opponents of the invasion of Ukraine.
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Published on 11.03.2022 06:23
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Arbitrary arrests, torture, mistreatment of opponents… Moscow is stepping up its mass repression in the face of opposition from some Russians to the war in Ukraine. This is precisely what is condemned in the latest report of the association Human Rights Watch, published on Friday, March 11th. The concern of human rights activists continues to grow, especially after the Russian parliament voted for new repressive laws against people spreading “false information” about the army. The NGO has recorded more than 13,500 arrests of opponents since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February.
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This is a bit like Vladimir Putin’s other war: the one the Russian president has declared against his people, at least those who oppose intervention in Ukraine. The arrests were brutal and the police did not hold back, as can be heard from a document put together by a human rights NGO. We hear a policeman explain to a demonstrator that he knows Putin is behind him. He then accuses her of being an enemy of Russia.
Since the beginning of the offensive, thousands of people have witnessed similar scenes, both in cities and towns.” Protesters were arrested all over Russia. People are being detained, and not only in Moscow or St. Petersburg was the most protest,” explains Anastasia from the Russian office of Human Rights Watch.
In addition to arbitrary arrests and acts of torture, opponents face a lack of justice to protect them because it is also muzzled and obeys the orders of the authorities. “Justice is also on the rails imposed by the government,” said Philippe Dam, director of human rights in Europe.
“It can be expected that the laws that were passed last week will still be implemented. The aim is clearly to intimidate the population into silence.” NGOs are not the only ones concerned about repression in Russia. The UN strikes the same balance, and the freedom of the press, which is almost non-existent in the country, is also alarming.
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