#KeepItOn: The Kremlin must refrain from imposing internet shutdowns during key national events

RKS Global is closely monitoring the situation with the shutdown of communication in Russia, which is being carried out by the Russian authorities without any legal framework. The practices of unilaterally cutting off the internet without public supervision and legal framework violate the rights of millions of people and damage the digital economy. It also contradicts international norms that are set out in national, regional and international documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Russia has ratified.

We support the statement of the coalition of international human rights defenders on the non-admissibility of mobile internet shutdowns and hope that due to the efforts of activists and civil society such incidents will not be silenced, normalized and will not become a routine in Russia and other countries.

We, the undersigned human rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn coalition – a global network against internet shutdowns, strongly condemn communication blackouts, including mobile internet shutdowns imposed by Russian authorities ahead and during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II. We urge the Russian authorities to refrain from restricting internet access in the future and ensure the internet and all communication channels remain free, accessible, and secure.

On May 5, 2025 the Unified State System for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations (RSES) sent out SMS notifications warning of mobile internet restrictions from May 5 to May 9 “to ensure security in connection with the preparation and celebration of the Victory Day parade” in Moscow.

Since May 5, problems with internet access or complete absence of cellular networks were registered all over Russia. Local residents in over 30 regions of the country reported communication disruptions. On May 7, 2025, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, admitted that the Russian authorities were limiting access to mobile internet until May 10 and urged the people of Russia to take it with understanding. The State Duma deputy also confirmed the mobile restrictions, describing them as “an element of preventive defense” against drones during the celebrations. Such blanket and wide-ranging restrictions represent a disproportionate response against hypothetical threats and were, in fact, implemented in areas where no drone attacks were documented. Some reports indicate that the internet access has been slowly resuming since May 9.

Russian authorities imposed this internet shutdown in a non-transparent and arbitrary fashion, subject to no public oversight and legal formalization, contrary to international standards. Internet shutdowns violate fundamental human rights enshrined in national, regional, and international frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Russia has ratified.

The UN Human Rights Committee has emphasized in its General Comment No. 37 that “state parties must not, for example, block or hinder Internet connectivity in relation to peaceful assemblies.” Moreover, the UN Secretary General and other experts have affirmed that

The Russian government’s actions during important social political events, such as commemorative celebrations, not only disrupted the normal functioning of bank services, online payment, and ATM functioning, but further limited people’s access to information already disrupted by numerous online platform blockings and ongoing internet censorship.

Imposing internet shutdowns interferes with people’s livelihoods and costs nations excessive economic loss as businesses, companies, and public and private institutions, which rely on the digital economy, suffer significant losses during shutdowns.

People in Russia should have unrestricted access to free, open, and secure internet. This is essential for the exercise of their fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression and opinion, press freedom, and freedom of assembly.

We, the undersigned organizations, urge the Russian government, as well as telecommunication companies to: