Russia: Justice Minister: strengthening the state more important than citizen’s rights or the rule of law
The Russian Ministry of Justice calls prioritising the protection of human rights as “not entirely the right approach”.
25.06.2026
Article published on the Moscow Times website
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Legal Forum, the Russian Justice Minister, Konstantin Chuichenko, stated that his department’s traditional triad of tasks – protecting citizens’ rights, upholding the rule of law and strengthening Statehood – requires a reassessment of priorities.
“We had certain approaches that emerged in the early 1990s when our Constitution was being written when people talked about citizens’ rights and freedoms being a priority. But I don’t think that’s quite the right approach”, said the Minister.
He believes that “a weak State cannot properly ensure the rights and legitimate interests of its citizens and therefore the rule of law, which is why a balance is needed. If we relax in one area, we need to tighten controls in another”, he explained.
This is not the first time that Chuichenko has made such remarks. In May last year at the same forum, he stated that strengthening the Russian State should be more important than safeguarding citizens’ rights and the rule of law. He also called for Russian history to be studied “through the prism of interference and foreign influence” and for tougher penalties to be imposed for violations of foreign agents’ legislation.
Deputy Minister, Oleg Sviridenko, expanded on this during the same session of the forum, stating that his department intends to increase the penalties for “foreign agents”. He argued that fines “don’t encourage compliance with the law, while foreign agents “revel in their status”. “Enough of coddling these entities that bring nothing good to our country”, said Sviridenko, promising legislative measures to tighten liability for their activities.
