U.N. Panel Criticizes Russia on Human Rights Treaty

GENEVA -- United Nations officials issued a scathing assessment of Russia's compliance with an international treaty against torture and cruel and degrading punishment, highlighting, among a number of "troubling trends," the increasing intimidation of people and organizations trying to monitor human rights.

The officials, members of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, said here on Friday that they were seriously concerned about "numerous and consistent reports" of threats, reprisals and deaths of human rights defenders and journalists in Russia. They also said that legal amendments recently enacted by President Vladimir V. Putin "undermined" the United Nations convention.

The committee's comments concluded a two-day review conducted here at which the Russian Deputy Minister of Justice Georgiy Matyushkin, leading a delegation of officials from nine ministries and government departments, said the Russian authorities had "moved further toward the humanization of criminal punishment" and reformed law enforcement.

Mr. Matyushkin cited the creation of a committee to investigate crimes that is independent of the state prosecutor's office, as well as of other law enforcement agencies, and includes a subgroup to investigate the illegal use of force by officers.

The United Nations panel welcomed the creation of the investigative committee but expressed doubts about its impartiality and effectiveness, noting reports that its head, Aleksandr I. Bastrykin, had abducted an editor of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper in June and threatened him with physical harm in retaliation for a critical article.

"We are seeing many troubling trends," said Felice Gaer, a member of the United Nations committee. Those included "increased allegations of abuse" and many reports documenting torture. But, she said, the team had seen very few investigations of such abuse, especially ones that led to prosecutions. Instead, it had received reports of intimidation and even killing of human rights defenders.

The committee expressed particular concern over recent measures that they described as "threatening to human rights defenders," including the requirement that organizations receiving funds from outside Russia identify themselves as "foreign agents."

It also cited amendments to Russia's criminal code recently signed into law by Mr. Putin expanding the definition of the crime of state treason to include "providing financial, technical advisory or other assistance to a foreign state or international organization" directed at harming Russia's security.

The members said they were concerned that this could be interpreted as banning the sharing of information with their investigators or with other United Nations human rights bodies.

Claudio Grossman, the team's chairman, said the measures had "a kind of chilling effect that undermines the purpose of the convention."

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

First Published November 23, 2012 6:01 pm