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Russia's Authoritarian Tactics: Forced Psychiatry for Dissent

9/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

U.N. expert Mariana Katzarova says Russia uses Soviet-era tactics, including forced psychiatric treatment to suppress dissent.
Rights groups say President Vladimir Putin's government has grown more authoritarian since Ukraine's invasion.
The U.N. report notes repression via national security laws, with 23 psychiatry cases annually since 2022.
Journalist Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to 10 years for anti-war activism and forced psychiatry.

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Story summary

U.N. expert Mariana Katzarova says Russia uses Soviet-era tactics, including forced psychiatric treatment to suppress dissent.
Rights groups say President Vladimir Putin's government has grown more authoritarian since Ukraine's invasion.
The U.N. report notes repression via national security laws, with 23 psychiatry cases annually since 2022.
Journalist Maria Ponomarenko was sentenced to 10 years for anti-war activism and forced psychiatry.