UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on Russia. Delivered by the UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Kumar Iyer.
Thank you, Special Rapporteur.
Your report’s findings are stark, and demonstrate that the Kremlin’s system of domestic repression is extending beyond the country’s borders. The UK condemns the continued deterioration in the Kremlin’s dire domestic human rights record. The international community has a shared responsibility to protect and promote the values it upholds.
We are concerned but not surprised by your finding that Russia has become one of the world’s most prolific perpetrators of transnational repression and that these practices have intensified significantly since 2022 including as you report, on UK soil. The UK condemns Russia’s use of threats, surveillance, digital repression, cyber-enabled activity and legal mechanisms to target activists, journalists, human rights defenders and anti-war voices, including those in exile.
The UK reiterates its call for the Russian state to release all those imprisoned on political grounds, including for their opposition to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Russian authorities must uphold its international obligations, and protect fundamental freedom of expression, association, and religion or belief.
Special Rapporteur, how can States best strengthen protection for those targeted by Russian transnational repression and ensure they can safely engage with international human rights mechanisms?