Commemorating the first anniversary of the death in custody of Russian opposition politician and prisoner of conscience Aleksei Navalny, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said:
“One year has passed since Aleksei Navalny, a prisoner of conscience and a fearless voice against corruption and Russian state repression, lost his life in a remote Russian prison. This is an occasion to remind Putin that questions about Navalny’s death are not going away, and neither are calls for accountability. The Kremlin is mistaken in its calculation that Aleksei’s memory will fade away and a thorough investigation into his death can be avoided. Our resolve for justice remains as strong as ever. Only an investigation conducted by independent and impartial international experts can ensure that truth is revealed, and the world must insist on nothing less.
“Aleksei Navalny embodied courage and resilience. He brought optimism and hope, uniting thousands of people who dared to stand against abuse of power and human rights violations. He challenged a stagnant status quo marked by repression and the silencing of political opponents and minorities.
The Russian state could not break Aleksei Navalny with unjust imprisonment, torture and repeated isolation. Even in death, his legacy of resistance continues to inspire those who believe in a better future
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
“The Russian state could not break Aleksei Navalny with unjust imprisonment, torture and repeated isolation. Even in death, his legacy of resistance continues to inspire those who believe in a better future. We honour his memory by standing in solidarity with all those who, despite growing repression, continue to pursue truth, justice and freedom.
“Among them are Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artyom Kriger, who face prison terms under charges of ‘participating in an extremist community’ for working with media projects founded by Aleksei Navalny. Their resilience embodies the very principles that Navalny fought for. We are outraged by the eight year sentence handed to Daniel Kholodny, prosecuted on similar arbitrary ‘extremism’ charges simply for working as an IT director at one of Navalny’s media channels.
“We also resolutely condemn the criminal prosecution of Navalny’s lawyers – Aleksei Liptser, Vadim Kobzev and Igor Sergunin – who have been imprisoned on ‘extremism’ charges simply for defending their client. Amnesty International calls for their immediate and unconditional release and urges the international community to intensify pressure on the Russian government to end these and other politically motivated prosecutions.”
