Published on: 2026-08-14
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 13, 2026 Human Rights
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katsarova, warned that the new Russian law, which provides for radical restrictions on Russian exiles, has become another measure aimed against government critics and opponents of the war, exacerbating repression inside the country and creating a practice of persecution abroad.
We are talking about Federal Law No. 284-FZ “On temporary restrictive measures in relation to persons located outside the Russian Federation and evading punishment,” signed by President Vladimir Putin on August 4. Persons subject to this law are deprived of a number of civil rights and find themselves in an extremely vulnerable position, Kacarova noted.
The Ministry of Justice will maintain a public list of Russians who are abroad and have not served their assigned punishment. Once included in the list, 14 categories of restrictions will be applied to them, including freezing of funds and property, cancellation of most consular services, including issuance and renewal of passports, denial of any digital government services, prohibition from driving a car and conducting real estate transactions, as well as obtaining loans.
The law is positioned as a means of implementing the principle of “inevitability of punishment.” Alongside criminal cases, its application is also provided for administrative offenses, which, according to Katsarova, have a political background. It concerns provisions on “foreign agents,” “undesirable organizations,” “laws on military censorship” (“discrediting the armed forces” and “fake news” about the army), calls for sanctions or “violation of the territorial integrity” of the Russian Federation. Russian courts, the Special Rapporteur noted, “have been using these provisions since 2022 to punish journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, representatives of creative professions, and anti-war activists.”
According to Katsarova, the Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin “left no doubt” about who these measures are directed against, calling them “extremists” and “traitors of the Motherland.”
The decision to include someone in the list is not made by a court, she noted. The person added to the list is not notified of the measures and has no right to respond; the measures are called “temporary,” but the law does not establish any time limits.
“Essentially, this is a targeted mass punishment against opponents of the war and government critics with the aim of making their lives outside of Russia unbearable,” the statement says. “Those subject to the law retain their civil duties but lose most of their rights, which de facto makes them stateless persons.”
Mariana Katsarova called on the Russian authorities to repeal this law and annul the sentences issued in absentia in politically motivated cases.
“States hosting Russians in danger,” she stated, “must ensure their ability to obtain and renew identity and travel documents, regulate their stay status in the country, maintain access to banking services and employment, and also refrain from forced repatriation and from giving legal force to determinations under this law.”
“Comprehensive protection of exiled government critics, human rights defenders, and opponents of the war is vital for the survival of Russian civil society,” Kacarova added.
Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine either situations in specific countries or thematic issues in all regions of the world. They are part of the Human Rights Council’s special procedures. The experts of special procedures are not UN staff members and do not depend on any government or organization. They work in a personal capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
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