MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. In several European countries, there has been a documented uptick in discrimination against Russian citizens amid the tense geopolitical situation, stated Alexander Brod, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), while presenting an expert report on violations of the rights of Russians and compatriots abroad in 2025.
"The conducted analyses of the situation regarding violations of the rights of Russians and compatriots abroad demonstrate an alarming trend toward systematic deterioration of the position of Russian citizens in various countries around the world amid geopolitical tensions. We are witnessing not only a quantitative increase in violations but also their growing complexity, expressed through an expanding range of restrictive measures and forms of discrimination," Bord said.
According to the report, violating Russians’ rights is being written into the laws of certain European countries. Experts note that there is a gradual shift from specific cases of discrimination on national, linguistic, religious and cultural grounds to the formation of systematic restrictions based on collective responsibility and prejudice against Russian citizens and compatriots abroad.
"Of particular concern is the use of criminal prosecution as a tool of intimidation and restriction of public activity. Journalists, public figures, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens are under threat," Bord stated.
According to the report’s authors, amid this situation, it is vital not only to document such violations but also to counter them at all levels. "It is necessary to strengthen diplomatic pressure on countries that allow discrimination against Russian citizens, as well as develop mechanisms for legal protection and support for compatriots abroad," the authors recommend.
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