Russia’s growing use of technology to spy on political opponents and dissenters is fuelling repression in other countries, according to the annual ‘Freedom on the Net’ report released by leading human rights NGO Freedom House.

At the European launch of the report in Brussels, project leader Sonja Kelly drew attention to the continuing decline of online freedom in Russia as the state tightens its control of the internet.

The report notes Russia’s role as an exporter of intrusive technologies to other states, particularly in the former Soviet Union.

“Russia has emerged as an important incubator of surveillance technologies and legal practices that are emulated by other former Soviet republics. Russia itself has dramatically expanded its surveillance apparatus in recent years, particularly following the events of the Arab Spring,” the report states.

The launch event heard how the ICT monitoring system used by the Russian authorities, known as SORM, has inspired other countries to expand their surveillance powers by replicating Russia’s legislation.

The report, which covers a period from May 2012 to April 2013, notes: “Although the constitution grants the right to free speech, this right is routinely violated, and there are no special laws protecting online modes of expression. Online journalists do not possess the same rights as traditional journalists unless they register their websites as mass media.

Recently, police have been suppressing online expression through the use of Article 282 of the criminal code, which restricts “extremism.” The term is vaguely defined and includes “xenophobia” and “incitement of hatred toward a social group.

The phrase “social group” is particularly problematic as the criminal code does not clearly describe what a social group entails, and several extremism cases in 2012 involved broad definitions of the term “social groups” to include the United Russia political party and law enforcement officers.”

The 2013 Freedom on the Net report can be found here.

The part of the report specific to Russia can be found here.