In the late 1990s, Russia also ratified the European Convention on Human Rights (with reservations) and from 1998 onwards the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg became a last court of appeal for Russian citizens from their national system of justice. Īs a successor state of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation remains bound by the same human rights agreements that were signed and ratified by its predecessor, such as the international covenants on civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights. Some of the most commonly cited violations include deaths in custody, the widespread and systematic use of torture by security forces and prison guards, hazing rituals (known as dedovshchina, meaning 'reign of grandfathers') in the Russian Army, widespread violations of children's rights, violence and discrimination against ethnic minorities, and the killing of journalists. Human rights in Russia have routinely been criticized by international organizations and independent domestic media outlets.
