The European Parliament supported Navalny and other political prisoners from Russia

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted the resolution “On the inhumane conditions of the detention of Alexei Navalny”. The document submitted by representatives of the five factions of the European Parliament states that Navalny, who had previously been poisoned, has been in custody since January 2021, subjecting him to torture, arbitrary punishment and psychological pressure.

The document contains a call to release Navalny and other Russian political prisoners convicted for their ties to Navalny, speaking out against the war in Ukraine, or the article about the so-called fakes about the army. In particular, the names of oppositionists Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, municipal deputy Alexei Horynov, journalist Maria Ponomarenko, artist Sasha Skochylenko, and others were named. It is emphasized that the European Parliament “stands in solidarity with Navalny and other brave Russian political prisoners in their struggle for democracy in Russia.” While Navalny and other prisoners are not released, it is necessary to ensure access to doctors and lawyers, to observe the normal conditions of their detention.

The European Parliament also called on EU bodies to support Russian civil society and help human rights defenders, activists and independent journalists from Russia.

The resolution also states that both Ukraine and democracy in Russia must win, and “both of these victories will also be victories for Alexei Navalny,” and the EU must help achieve both of these goals. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin must, as the resolution says, stand trial “for crimes against his own population.”

The European Parliament has previously repeatedly adopted resolutions both in support of Navalny and condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine. In the latest document, these topics are interrelated. Resolutions of the European Parliament are of a recommendatory nature; The leadership of the EU and individual countries of the union have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to release Navalny or ease the conditions of his detention.

Navalny, who is in a high-security prison in the Vladimir region, recently announced that he was sent to strict detention conditions for six months – which, among other things, means that he will not be granted visits.