A/HRC/43/51/Add.3 in accordance with relevant provisions of international human rights law. NHRIs play a key role in promoting and protecting human rights and any restriction or pressure, including in the form of civil lawsuits, may have a significant chilling effect on the ability of the NHRI to carry out its key functions. 563. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Polish Government for responding to the communication sent on 5 March 2019 and for providing information on the scope of immunity granted to the Commissioner for Human Rights by national law. He welcomes the recognition of the importance of NHRIs’ independence and impartiality, however he regrets that the Government did not provide detailed information about the factual grounds that have justified the charges brought against Mr. Bodnar. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the reported decision of the Regional Court in Warsaw in May to dismiss the case against Mr. Bodnar Russian Federation 564. JAL 13/02/2019 Case no: RUS 2/2019 State reply: 06/03/2019 Allegations concerning the disbarment of Mr. Emil Kurbedinov, allegedly as an act of reprisal for his legitimate work in defence of human rights. 565. JAL 17/07/2019 Case no: RUS 5/2019 State reply: 13/09/2019 Allegations concerning the criminal prosecution of woman environmental rights defender Ms. Alexandra Koroleva for non-compliance with the Foreign Agent Law. 566. JAL 19/09/2019 Case no: RUS 6/2019 State reply: 13/11/2019 (A); 28/11/2019 Allegations concerning the restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly, and also concerning the use of force against, and detention of, peaceful protesters, in conjunction with public demonstrations against the exclusion of certain candidates in the elections for the Moscow City Duma, held on 8 September 2019. 567. JAL 25/11/2019 Case no: RUS 8/2019 State reply: 20/01/2020 Allegations concerning the ban from entry into Russia issued against human rights defender Mr. Johannes Rohr, which appears to be linked to his work in defence of human rights and his engagement with the UN in the field of human rights. 568. PR 7/03/2019 Russia: Release human rights defender Oyub Titiev, urge UN experts 569. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government for the responses received to all four communications sent during the present reporting period. He is grateful for the Russian Federation’s willingness to cooperate with the human rights defenders mandate. 570. The Special Rapporteur continues to express concern at the risks and challenges that human rights defenders operating in the Russian Federation are facing. Human rights defenders’ work has become increasingly criminalised as a result of the so-called “Foreign Agents Law”, which has had a detrimental impact on civil society. The Special Rapporteur reiterates his concerns about the debilitating role of the Law, which contributes to the broader crackdown on human rights defenders and civil society organisations, particularly those with dissenting opinions, exercising their rights to freedom of association and freedom of expression in the country. 571. The cases of the human rights lawyer Mr. Emil Kurbedinov and the environmental rights defender Ms. Alexandra Koroleva help illustrate concerns around the criminalisation of human rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about the criminal charges brought against the environmental rights defender Ms. Alexandra Koroleva, which appear to be directly linked to her human rights work and the exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association. Further concern is expressed at the designation of the organisation she heads, Ekozaschita! as a “foreign agent,” under the so-called “Foreign Agents Law” and the administrative fines associated with it. The Special Rapporteur takes 78