The UK and 16 other countries commemorate Alexei Navalny's death
in a Russian penal colony in 2024, condemn continued repression
in Russia and call for the release of political prisoners.
H.E. Jan Marian, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic
to the OSCE "Thank you Chair.
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following
participating States : Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and my own country Czechia; as
well as Australia as an OSCE Partner for Cooperation.
On the second commemoration of Alexei Navalny's death in a
Russian penal colony, we once again express our deepest
condolences to his family. We underline that the Russian
authorities remain solely responsible. The February 3rd judgement
by the European Court of Human Rights furthermore underlined that
Russia bears responsibility for the inhuman and degrading
treatment of Navalny in detention and for the lack of adequate
response to his requests. Especially given recent findings
published by the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and the
Netherlands, we reiterate our demands for a thorough and
transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his
death.
The human rights situation in Russia has rapidly deteriorated
before and ever since this tragic event, as reports from the UN
Special Rapporteur have shown. The Kremlin has consolidated and
expanded its repertoire of repressive tactics and the misuse of
national security legislation in particular has brought about
harsh sentences against human right defenders, journalists,
lawyers and doctors, among many others. As Navalny`s legacy
endures, we stand by the brave Russian human rights defenders and
independent civil society actors that continue to work under ever
greater personal risks.
According to independent human rights monitor OVD-Info, more than
1,700 people are currently detained in Russia on political
grounds, including Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian
captivity; many of them for speaking up and acting against
Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. The UN Special Rapporteur`s
reports illustrate how many political prisoners are tortured,
denied adequate medical treatment and placed in forced
psychiatric detention. Within Ukraine, the Russian state has
intensified its violence and aggression against the Ukrainian
people. The repression inside Russia furthermore enables its
aggression abroad. We remain steadfast: The Russian authorities
must fully comply with all their international obligations and
release all political prisoners.
Thank you, Mr. Chair."
