Freedom House: Russia Remains One of the World's Least Free Countries in 2026
16/06/26, 09:00
March 2026 – Freedom House has once again classified Russia as "Not Free" in its annual Freedom in the World 2026 report, assigning the country a Global Freedom Score of just 12 out of 100. The findings portray a political system in which power remains overwhelmingly concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin, while fundamental rights and civil liberties continue to deteriorate.
According to the report, the Kremlin maintains its control through manipulated elections, a subservient judiciary, tightly controlled media, and systematic repression of political opposition. Freedom House argues that Russia's institutions no longer function as effective democratic checks on executive power.
The report also highlights the continued erosion of civil liberties. Peaceful assembly is effectively suppressed through excessive police force, arbitrary arrests, heavy fines, and lengthy prison sentences, creating an environment in which unsanctioned public protests have become increasingly rare.
Freedom House further notes that independent media, civil society organizations, and political activists operate under intense pressure, while censorship and restrictions on freedom of expression have expanded significantly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The report concludes that the Russian authorities have increasingly used wartime legislation and security measures to silence domestic dissent.
While some countries recorded democratic improvements during the past year, the global report warns that authoritarian governments continue to expand their influence. Russia is identified as one of the clearest examples of this trend, where political rights and civil liberties remain severely restricted under an increasingly centralized system of governance.
Freedom House's Freedom in the World report is one of the world's most widely cited annual assessments of political rights and civil liberties, covering 195 countries and 13 territories.
The full report is available here: FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2026
