Fifteen countries call on Russia to release all political prisoners on the second anniversary of Alexey Navalny’s death
In a joint statement released on Monday marking the second anniversary of Alexey Navalny’s death, 15 countries called on Russia to release all political prisoners. The statement comes two days after five European countries accused the Kremlin of fatally poisoning the opposition leader with a rare neurotoxin while he was in prison.
Citing these findings, the statement says that Russian authorities “remain solely responsible” for Navalny’s death and reiterates calls for a “thorough and transparent investigation.” It then goes on to condemn Russia’s domestic repressions and ongoing invasion of Ukraine:
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.
A leading opposition figure, Navalny died in a Russian prison on February 16, 2024. Russian authorities have consistently denied responsibility for his death. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the recent poisoning revelations as “biased” and unfounded. “Naturally, we do not accept such accusations,” Peskov told reporters. “And we strongly reject them.”
The joint statement was published by Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
