Standing firm against political repression in Russia after Alexei Navalny's death

Statement by the Board of the Civil Society Forum

On 16 February 2024, it was announced that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison. One of the regime's most prominent critics, Navalny was subject to a poisoning by Novichok in 2020. After being treated abroad, he returned to Russia in 2021 and was arrested in the airport on fabricated charges of extremism and fraud. He was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment in 2023 and was recently transferred to a jail north of the Arctic Circle, in which he died, according to prison authorities.

Navalny was a hope for many in Russian society looking for institutional change. Alongside a focus on the tragedy of his death, it is important that the international community recognises the repressive actions taken by the Russian state to silence critics. Navalny’s death is a tragedy. It is pivotal that we all stand up together as a civil society to avoid more.

According to human rights group Memorial, there are 676 political prisoners in Russia, including Lilia Chanysheva, Yuri Dmitriev, Ksenia Fadeeva, Alexei Gorinov, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Grigori Melkoniants, Ivan Safronov, Ilia Yashin and many others. They are subject to harsh prison conditions, ill-treatment and lack of access to adequate medical care.

It is an international obligation to exercise a duty of care to those in custody. States are also required to investigate any deaths in custody via a fair and independent inquiry and hold those responsible to account, as in the case of Navalny.

We demand justice for Alexei Navalny. Now is the time for the Russian authorities to take accountability for the death of Navalny and allow for an independent investigation to his death. We also demand that they immediately release all political prisoners and drop their charges. Pressure from the international community, incorporating human rights activists and organisations, is paramount for this.

We express our sincere condolences to Alexei Navalny’s family and friends.

Contacts:

Aniko Bakonyi, Co-Chair of the Civil Society Forum board

Andre Gerrits, Co-Chair of the Civil Society Forum board

For any enquiries, please contact us at info_at_csf-ev_dot_org