A/HRC/60/62 12. Russian Federation 108. References to the alleged impact of the arbitrary application of restrictive legislation,107 in particular laws on “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations”, on the willingness and ability of civil society actors to engage with international bodies, including with the United Nations, have been included in the reports of the Secretary-General since 2019 and, prior to that, in 2013, 2014, and 2015.108 In her 2024 report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation noted that the Ministry of Justice had designated a total of 846 individuals and organizations as “foreign agents” as of 16 August 2024. As of June 2024, 25 criminal cases had been opened due to non-compliance with the legislation (A/HRC/57/59, para 16-18). During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur further addressed new amendments to the law on “undesirable” organizations, (Federal Law No. 219-FZ), adopted in August 2024 (A/HRC/57/59, para 29 and RUS 6/2024). 109. The case of the international NGO Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) was included in the 2024 report of the Secretary General, on allegations that its designation as an “undesirable organization” pursuant to the decision of 5 July 2023 by the Office of the Prosecutor General, in accordance with Federal Law No. 129-FZ.109 of May 2015, constituted a reprisal for the organization’s engagement with the United Nations bodies and mechanisms in Geneva on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation.110 110. According to information received by OHCHR, on 29 March 2024, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow rejected HRHF’s application seeking to overturn the Prosecutor General’s designation. The court upheld the designation, following the reasoning of the Prosecutor’s office in full. On 20 May 2024, HRHF lodged an appeal regarding the court’s decision. These proceedings could suggest that the Russian authorities continue to view HRHF’s international human rights advocacy, including its public statements at the United Nations, as grounds for legal sanction. 111. The case of the Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North (CSIPN) was included in the 2020 report of the Secretary-General111, on allegations that its dissolution under the Foreign Agent Law in 2020 and the targeting of its director were in reprisal for the organization’s engagement with the United Nations. Reportedly, CSIPN was one of the few organizations of Indigenous Peoples in the region with ECOSOC status and its dissolution impacted the participation of indigenous peoples from Siberia and the Russian North and Far East in United Nations activities. 112. During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation reported to the Human Rights Council that, in May 2024, the Government had requested that CSIPN’s consultative status be revoked on the grounds that CSIPN lacked legal recognition in the Russian Federation (A/HRC/57/59, para 133). 113. According to information received by OHCHR, in July and December 2024, an Indigenous Peoples human rights defenders network operating in the Russian Federation was designated as an “extremist” and “terrorist organization” by national authorities, following 107 These included the N 121-FZ Foreign Agent Law for Non-Commercial Organizations, adopted in July 2012 and amended in June 2016 (N 147-FZ and N 179-FZ) and several pieces of federal legislation signed into effect on 30 December 2020 as well as Federal Law No. 538-FC, which introduced a five-year prison sentence for libel, and Federal Law No. 525-FZ which introduced criminal liability for malicious violation of the duties of a “foreign agent” with a penalty of up to five years in prison. On 5 April 2021, Bills No.1052327-7 and 105895-7 were adopted and published introducing amendments and penalties for non-compliance with the norms mentioned above. 108 A/HRC/57/60, Annex II, paras. 154–155; A/HRC/54/61, Annex II, paras. 130–131; A/HRC/51/47, Annex II, paras. 126–127 ; A/HRC/48/28 Annex II, paras. 111–114; A/HRC/45/36, Annex II, paras. 105–107; A/HRC/42/30, Annex II, para. 88; A/HRC/30/29, Annex II para. 3; A/HRC/27/38, para. 43; A/HRC/24/29, paras. 29–31. 109 A/HRC/54/54, para. 29. 110 During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Russian Federation reported on its designation (A/HRC/54/54, paras. 27, 29–30). 111 A/HRC/45/36, para 102. 65