Russia: Domestic Violence Bill Falls Short
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 2:15 PM

A newly proposed domestic violence bill in Russia falls short of providing adequate protection to victims. In a letter to the Federation Council, Human Rights Watch suggests amending the bill to align with international standards and include victim protection and support. They also recommend Russia define physical, sexual, economic and emotional domestic violence. Furthermore, domestic violence complaints are not adequately addressed by Russian authorities and social services is not equipped to provide victim support.

Russia has seen major pushback against domestic violence legislation in recent years. For instance, in February of 2017 a legislative amendment decimalizized first battery offenses among family members. There is also pushback from groups including the Russian Orthodox Church which opposes the domestic violence law claiming that it is, “an assault on Russian Family:”  Yulia Gorbunova, senior Europe and Central Asia Researcher at Human Rights Watch, urges Russia’s Parliament to bring the proposed  law up to international standards in order to protect domestic violence survivors.  

Compiled From: Russia: Domestic Violence Bill Falls Short Lacks Specificity, Full Range of Protections Urgently Needed, Human Rights Watch (December 9, 2019).