Navalny affair: "I hope that the international community will continue to exert pressure"
The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Irene Khan in a photo published by the organization on March 1, 2021, in Geneva.
AFP - FABRICE COFFRINI
Text by: Sophia Khatsenkova
5 mins
The imprisoned Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny announced on Friday that he would end his hunger strike, which began three weeks ago to denounce his conditions of detention.
RFI asked three questions to Irène Khan, United Nations special rapporteur for freedom of expression, who had sounded the alarm on the state of health of the Russian opponent.
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: What do you expect from the international community in relation to the situation of Alexei Navalny
?
Irene Khan:
I hope that the international community will not give up and that it will continue to put pressure on the Russian authorities.
It is not just a matter of
Alexey Navalny
having access to an independent doctor.
But he has to heal and be healthy.
What we are seeing in Russia is that everyone wants to play a leading role, the international community and the Russian government.
But today, we must not forget that the main stake is the life of a man.
And the whole world is watching what's going on.
Thousands of people have been arrested and thrown in prison recently in connection with protests in support of Alexey Navalny.
It should be remembered that Russia is a member state of the United Nations Human Rights Council (CHR).
I encourage its leaders to respect their human rights obligations.
► See also: Russia: thousands of demonstrators in the street in support of Alexeï Navalny
Last week, the Russian prosecution also demanded that several organizations of Alexeï Navalny be declared "
extremists
" and therefore banned.
What are your fears for the future of the opposition in Russia
?
It is the sign of repression. Alexei Navalny has taken several cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and in each case he has won the case against the Russian government. The Russian authorities did not respond to these court decisions, but Alexeï Navalny won them one after the other. His movement and actions were not deemed illegal at that time by the ECHR.
In our view, his organization is investigating suspected embezzlement or abuse of power by the Russian authorities.
These kinds of organizations exist in many countries around the world.
I did not see any information from the Russian authorities on the reasons for which they launched this legal procedure which would judge that the organization of Alexeï Navalny is extremist.
From what I know, the trial will be held in camera.
It is important that there is complete transparency of what is happening in court.
►
To read also: The Navalny Anti-Corruption Fund soon to be classified as an extremist organization?
In Belarus, the protest movement continues, but the repression is becoming increasingly tense with numerous arrests in recent weeks. As UN Special Rapporteur, has your job become more difficult, especially as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin cooperate more and more
?
In Belarus, since the disputed elections last August, the situation has been extremely difficult for journalists and media there.
Many wrote to me, I also contacted the Belarusian authorities and I even participated in a public meeting organized by members of the United Nations Security Council last January.
We have had discussions with NGOs, press associations and other groups and I can tell you that conditions are only getting worse.
►
To read also: Belarus: the Parliament votes new laws to prevent the challenge
As special rapporteurs, the only power we have is to raise awareness, raise awareness and draw attention to human rights violations.
We are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor human rights violations, investigate complaints, make them public, and put pressure on governments that do not respect human rights.
Our reports are public and we encourage governments to use them in their geopolitical relations to put pressure on other countries.
I hope this will happen in the case of Alexey Navalny and Belarus.
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