Russia has appointed State Duma lawmaker Yana Lantratova, an outspoken supporter of Russia’s conservative political turn, as its new human rights ombudsman — a move that human rights experts said reflects the state of civil liberties under President Vladimir Putin.
Lantratova, who was accused of involvement in the alleged forced transfer of Ukrainian children and known for advocating a ban on “LGBT propaganda,” was elected Russia’s next human rights commissioner last week.
She succeeds ex-police general Tatyana Moskalkova, who had served as ombudswoman since 2016 and was no longer eligible for another term.
Like Moskalkova, Lantratova was nominated by the Kremlin-loyal A Just Russia party and backed by the ruling United Russia party, where she began her political career.
Yet rights defenders who spoke to The Moscow Times described Lantratova as “a different type of figure” than her predecessor: a young careerist shaped entirely by the current political system.
