Russia's human rights commissioner has second thoughts about decriminalizing domestic violence

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has second thoughts about the February 2017 law that decriminalized some forms of “light” domestic violence. She supported the legislation before Putin signed it last year, arguing that imprisoning “mildly abusive” husbands could leave mothers without breadwinners. Now Moskalkova says she’s in favor of the 2011 Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

Moskalkova isn’t the only public official who’s criticized Russia’s 2017 domestic violence decriminalization. In February 2018, a year after Putin signed the legislation, Federal Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin said the law had allowed “maniacs to migrate to families and foster families.”