Murders, torture, imprisoned for speech, and a spike in xenophobia. Human rights monitors at OVD-Info wrap up 2024 in Russian law enforcement — one of the country’s darkest years in modern history (and things are only getting worse)

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Sign reads, “Killed for freedom.”

Human rights activists at OVD-Info and colleagues at five other projects have published an annual summary of events in Russia’s justice system. Researchers found that the main trends in recent years persisted in 2024: targeted political persecution, attacks on vulnerable groups, and the adoption of increasingly repressive laws. Meduza briefly summarizes the group’s findings, which are unfortunately but unsurprisingly quite discouraging. You can find the full report — with detailed statistics, charts, and expert commentary — at this hyperlink.

Political persecution continues

OVD-Info reports that 2,976 people face politically motivated prosecutions in Russia today, including 620 cases launched in 2024. Of this group, 1,407 people are now jailed. Among those behind bars are 1,107 defendants in “anti-war” criminal cases (including 62 journalists and bloggers). This year, prosecutors opened politically motivated cases against 212 people for felony speech offenses made in public statements, online comments, written remarks, and videos.

More people are being sent to prison, and conditions behind bars are worsening

More than half the sentences reached in 2024’s politically motivated cases resulted in prison time — 55 percent (378 out of 679). By comparison, a year earlier, the figure was 50 percent (339 out of 671). In 2024, human rights activists documented 107 cases of “additional pressure” where the authorities exerted physical or psychological violence, denied medical care, or deliberately detained people in poor conditions. Monitoring cases not limited to political persecution, the Anti-Torture Team registered 304 reports of torture, ill-treatment, or violations of the right to life by the state authorities.

People imprisoned for political reasons are dying in custody

Alexey Navalny was killed, four others died in custody, another two prisoners died due to poor conditions in solitary confinement, and another inmate died as a result of injuries sustained during detention (a total of eight deaths).

Russia keeps finding more ‘terrorists’ (and people who ‘justify’ their deeds)

Most persecutions initiated in 2024 were tied to Article 205.2 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which bans “public incitements to terrorist activities, public justifications of terrorism, and propagating terrorism.” The authorities have increasingly used this statute against people who express approval of the Ukrainian army’s actions or units fighting on its side, OVD-Info reports.

The Baymak case was Russia’s most sweeping political persecution all year

The politically motivated case involving the most defendants occurred in Bashkortostan against demonstrators who assembled on January 17, the day activist Fail Alsynov was sentenced.

Background

• ‘Freedom for Fail Alsynov!’ Why a Bashkir activist’s prosecution was enough to spark major protests in 2024’s Russia

In mid-January, mass protests took place in Bashkortostan in support of activist Failyal Alsynov, who was arrested and later convicted for allegedly inciting hatred. Initially, protesters gathered outside the court in the city of Baymak, where the verdict against Alsynov was announced. They later demonstrated again in downtown Ufa. The protests became some of the largest in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (when lawmakers militarized restrictions on public assemblies). Federal investigators later opened a criminal case in response to supposed “mass riots” and began arresting the activists. At least 79 people were ultimately implicated.

The state is using other methods to pressure people

In 2024, courts processed 2,047 misdemeanor cases filed under Article 20.3.3 of Russia’s Administrative Offenses Code on “discrediting” the army. Human rights activists recorded at least 70 cases of “extrajudicial pressure” against persons suspected of opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, the state’s most common extrajudicial tool of intimidation was threats, typically involving coercion to issue public apologies — a practice that has spread widely in recent years.

2024 became a year of systemic repression against Russia’s LGBTQ community

The Russian Supreme Court’s designation of the “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organization, which took effect on January 10, led to an escalation of repression. Police raids targeting LGBTQ individuals became a regular practice. So far, officials have opened 12 felony investigations related to the “International LGBT Movement” (only one case is linked to activism, while the others are connected to the service sector). Human rights activists also documented 53 cases of persecution for “LGBT propaganda” (Article 6.21 of the Administrative Offenses Code).

The state exploited the March 2024 terrorist attack at a concert hall outside Moscow for populist purposes — and migrants suffered

Since the spring of 2024, the authorities have carried out “show raids” targeting migrant workers, followed by mass deportations. Police have raided places where foreigners often congregate: shared housing, mosques, hostels, construction sites, and markets. In these sweeps, people are detained without explanation and frequently beaten. In some regions, such as St. Petersburg, these raids occur nearly every week. The authorities also introduced new restrictions for foreigners with naturalized Russian citizenship: take the oath and enlist in the military or risk losing citizenship.

You can find OVD-Info’s full report — with detailed statistics, charts, and expert commentary — at this hyperlink.