Russian Federation

In the Russian Federation, measures for criminalising hate speech have been used in light of positive and negative obligations under global and regional human rights treaties. Yet they have also been abused as tools of oppression and persecution against national, ethnic, religious minorities, and persons viewed as political opponents for the current government. This chapter explores the perils of misusing hate speech legislation in the practice of the Russian Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and domestic courts implementing local legislation. It traces the response of international and regional bodies to the undemocratic measures imposed by the Russian government in their purported struggle against extremism. Broad definitions of ‘extremism’ and ‘religious and interracial hatred’ within Russian legislation leave a wide margin of appreciation in restricting rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ community, dissidents and those opposing the current war against Ukraine, with a little or no prospect to challenge described legislation on international or regional levels.