This week Human Rights Watch released its annual World Report 2013, with a special focus on the deterioration of conditions inside Russia as well as the Kremlin’s harmful foreign policy toward conflict areas such as Syria, describing the past year as “the worst” in terms of human rights conduct since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Taking note of a number of serious cases, from the imprisonment of the female punk rock outfit Pussy Riot to attacks on journalists, Human Rights Watch denounced the Russian government’s backward slide on rights and urged the return to lawful treatment of citizens and non-governmental organizations.

“This has been the worst year for human rights in Russia in recent memory,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Russia’s civil society is standing strong but with the space around it shrinking rapidly, it needs support now more than ever.”

Williamson continued, “Measures to intimidate critics and restrict Russia’s vibrant civil society have reached unprecedented levels. Pressure and reprisals against activists and nongovernmental organizations need to stop.”

The report also mentions the disproportionate reaction to the passage of the Magnitsky Act, harmful new legislation concerning sexual orientation, and the re-criminalisation of libel as damaging to free speech. However, the report notes, Russian officials often say that foreigners have no business criticizing Russia’s human rights record.

“The Kremlin cynically conflates legitimate expressions of concern about human rights and the rule of law with undermining Russia’s sovereignty,” Williamson said. “But Russia’s international partners should not be bullied into silence.”

Read more on Human Rights Watch.