Russia expanded use of torture after Ukraine invasion, says UN expert

Russia has expanded its use of torture at home and abroad since invading Ukraine, with the practice notably used to clamp down on dissent during the war, a report by a UN rights expert said on Oct 29.

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Torture has become "a tool for stifling the civic space, for silencing all anti-war protests or dissidents, anybody who disagrees with the policies and the Russian authorities", report author Mariana Katzarova told reporters.

Ms Katzarova, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Russia, noted that the use of torture had been documented in the country for the past three decades.

"But now, after the full-scale invasion, it has become a concerted strategy," she said.