Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Monday, April 17, for the release “without delay” of Russian opponent Vladimir Kara-Mourza, sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison.
“No one should be deprived of their liberty for exercising their human rights, and I call on the Russian authorities to release him without delay.” While detained, he should be treated with humanity and respect for his dignity,” he said in a statement sent to media. His conviction “is a further blow to the rule of law and civic space in the Russian Federation”.
The opponent’s lawyer indicates that “the lawsuits against him [had] nothing to do with justice from the beginning”. This is “just political revenge against Vladimir [Kara-Mourza, editor’s note]” and “he is a political prisoner, there is no doubt about it,” he added.
France is “appalled” by the conviction of Vladimir Kara-Mourza, reacted on Monday the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, deploring the instrumentalization of justice in Russia, “become a tool of oppression of the Kremlin”. This sentence “constitutes a new illustration of the campaign of repression carried out by the Russian authorities against critical voices of power and its war of aggression against Ukraine”, said Anne-Claire Legendre.
“The shockingly harsh court ruling demonstrates yet again the misuse of the judiciary to pressure activists, human rights defenders and any voices opposed to Russia’s illegitimate war of aggression against Russia. ‘Ukraine,’ denounced the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell in a press release.
Washington also denounced this court decision, considering that the political opponent is the victim of the government’s “intensified campaign of repression”, reacted the spokesperson for the US State Department. “We renew our call for the release of Mr. Kara-Murza, as well as the release of more than 400 political prisoners in Russia,” Vedant Patel said in a statement, calling the sentence “politically motivated.”
Consult our file: War in Ukraine
