Mr Maksim Kharitonov

Country Expert — Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan: Human Rights, Political Situation & Asylum Cases

Expert at The Human Rights Experts, an international expert witness organisation.

We provide expert witness reports for asylum cases worldwide, covering human rights violations, political persecution, and systemic oppression. Our reports are trusted by lawyers, courts, and immigration authorities, in full compliance with procedural standards and tribunal requirements in the UK (CPR Part 35, Upper Tribunal PD, First-tier Tribunal IAC PD), USA (Federal Rules of Evidence), Canada, and the EU.

Occupation

• Country Witness Expert on Russia and the Post-Soviet Region
• Legal Researcher and Human Rights Specialist
• Investigative Journalist on Human Rights, Political Repression, and State Violence
• Editor and Speaker at The Human Rights Independent Media and Analysis Platform

Expertise

I provide expert analysis on all five Refugee Convention grounds — political opinion, religion, ethnicity, membership of a particular social group (including LGBT and gender-based cases), and nationality — with a focus on the following countries:

Russia: The Russian Federation faces severe human rights challenges, including the systematic prosecution of political opposition figures, independent journalists, and anti-corruption activists under expansive extremism and "foreign agent" legislation. Religious minorities, particularly Jehovah's Witnesses and independent Muslim communities, face criminal prosecution, surveillance, and forced dissolution of their organisations. LGBT individuals are targeted under propaganda laws and face police harassment, violence, and social exclusion, while gender-based violence remains widespread with inadequate state protection. The ongoing armed conflict connected to the war in Ukraine has intensified domestic repression, including criminal prosecutions for "discrediting the armed forces" and coercive mobilisation practices affecting conscientious objectors and their families.

Ukraine: Ukraine confronts complex human rights challenges arising from the ongoing armed conflict, including mass internal displacement, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the breakdown of social protection systems. Compulsory military mobilisation practices by territorial recruitment centres have been documented as involving arbitrariness, abuse, and corruption, with limited legal safeguards for those subjected to conscription. Restrictions on freedom of expression and security-related prosecutions affect individuals expressing dissenting political views. Russian-speaking individuals and persons with perceived links to Russia face heightened scrutiny and discrimination. LGBT communities experience increased insecurity during wartime, and religious tensions have been exacerbated by the conflict, with particular pressure on communities perceived as connected to Russian religious institutions.

Belarus: Belarus has experienced a severe deterioration of human rights following the contested 2020 presidential elections, marked by mass arrests, documented torture in detention, and long-term imprisonment of political opponents, journalists, and protest participants. The authorities use criminal and extremism legislation systematically to suppress opposition activity and silence independent media. Religious leaders perceived as critical of the government face surveillance, administrative harassment, and criminal liability. LGBT individuals are subjected to arbitrary detention and police brutality in an environment of total impunity. The close political and security alignment between Belarus and the Russian Federation, including cooperation within the CSTO framework, further restricts the space for dissent and exacerbates risks for those deemed disloyal to the authorities.

Moldova: The Republic of Moldova faces structural human rights challenges rooted in systemic corruption, politicisation of state institutions, and weak judicial independence. Limited economic opportunities interact with political pressure to drive forced emigration. Ethnic minorities, particularly in regions with contested political status, experience language-based exclusion and unequal access to public services. Religious minorities face administrative barriers, selective enforcement, and community-level discrimination. LGBT individuals encounter widespread social hostility, hate crimes, and inadequate law enforcement response. Governance failures and the absence of effective legal remedies contribute significantly to international protection claims from Moldovan nationals.

Armenia: Armenia faces significant human rights concerns, including patterns of politically motivated prosecutions, harassment of opposition figures, and excessive use of force against protesters. Restrictions on press freedom and civil liberties create a chilling effect on political participation and civic engagement. Ethnic minorities encounter societal hostility and inadequate state protection. Religious minorities outside the dominant Armenian Apostolic Church face administrative interference, discrimination, and social pressure. LGBT individuals are at serious risk of violence, harassment, and hate crimes, with documented patterns of police inaction and societal impunity. Political instability and the aftermath of regional armed conflict compound these risks and drive forced displacement.

Georgia: Georgia faces persistent human rights challenges, including political pressure on opposition figures, selective enforcement of laws, and interference with independent media. Ultra-nationalist groups target religious minorities with violence and harassment, and state protection measures remain inadequate. LGBT individuals face severe risks, as documented by large-scale anti-LGBT protests, physical violence, and hate campaigns, with police responses consistently failing to ensure safety. Systemic corruption within state institutions, political influence over the judiciary, and deficiencies in the rule of law undermine effective remedies and accountability. These conditions contribute to forced migration and international protection claims from Georgian nationals.

Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan is characterised by authoritarian governance, systematic repression of political opposition, and severe restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression. Prisoners and political detainees face documented ill-treatment, torture, and denial of due process in detention. The state exercises significant control over religious activity, with surveillance, prosecutions, and administrative pressure targeting independent religious communities and their leaders. LGBT individuals face discrimination, violence, and a complete absence of effective state protection. Systemic corruption and the concentration of political power limit access to justice and effective remedies, driving forced emigration and asylum claims from Kazakh nationals.

Experience

• Expert Witness and Country Context Analyst (2022—Present): Instructed by legal practitioners across the United Kingdom and the United States to prepare expert reports and country-context analyses for asylum and human rights proceedings, addressing political persecution, risks upon return, and conditions for vulnerable groups including religious minorities and LGBT individuals. Provides oral expert evidence before courts and tribunals where required.
• Editor and Speaker, The Human Rights — Independent Media and Analysis Platform (2018—Present): Editor and regular speaker for an independent media platform focused on human rights conditions in Russia and the post-Soviet region, producing investigative and educational content on political repression, religious persecution, and discrimination across the CIS.
• Television Presenter and Journalist, RBC (2015—2018): Hosted programmes on Russian television covering political governance, social policy, corruption, and public accountability. Conducted investigations and published reports on human rights violations and corruption in the CIS region.
• Education at the International Law Institute under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation: Accredited legal education in the Russian Federation, including a College Diploma in Law (2003—2006) and a Higher Legal Education Specialist Degree in International Law (2006—2009), with focus on human rights law, international public and private law, constitutional justice, and comparative legal systems. Additional training from the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR) in Washington, DC (2022) and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (2018).
• Expert Member of The Human Rights Experts: Founding expert and editorial lead at The Human Rights Experts international expert witness organisation, contributing to the development of analytical frameworks and quality standards for expert reports on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.

Full professional experience is available in the CV. Please email us to receive the detailed expert CV.

Publications

Mr Kharitonov has authored over 40 analytical publications on human rights conditions across Russia and the post-Soviet region, covering political repression, religious persecution, ethnic discrimination, LGBT rights, armed conflict, corruption, and governance failures. Selected publications include investigative media articles published in Komsomolskaya Pravda, analytical commentaries for The Human Rights platform, and educational video content on the YouTube channel. A complete list of publications with full citations is available upon request and detailed in the expert CV.

Languages

• Russian (Native)
• English (Fluent)

Religious Groups Expertise

All religious groups

Contact Email

info@thehuman-rights.com