Poland in the UN

Political prisoners cannot be forgotten – the international community must continue efforts to release them – called the participants of the event on human rights in Russia, organized by Poland and Luxembourg on 24 September 2024 within the grounds of the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The panel moderated by Imogen Foulkes, BBC Geneva Correspondent, consisted of former political prisoners in Russia, recently freed from captivity during the international prisoners exchange: Vladimir Kara-Murza, political opposition leader, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and Vice President of the Free Russia Foundation, Ilya Yashin, political opposition leader, Andrei Pivovarov, political opposition leader and Kevin Lick, the youngest person convicted of treason in Russia. Her testimony shared also Evgenia Kara-Murza, human rights defender, Advocacy Director of the Free Russia Foundation, as well as Mariana Katzarova, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, the first-ever Human Rights Council mandate concerning a permanent member of the Security Council.

The participants called for the states to amplify the voices of political prisoners heard, notably underlining that the most important thing for every democracy is human life. Vladimir Kara-Murza stressed that Russia can be a democratic country that does not pose a threat to other states and to itself.

Very personal stories told by each of the panelists painted a drastic picture of repressions used against individuals who stand up against the authorities and want to exercise their right to freedom of opinion in Russia. The scale of repression increased since the invasion of Russia on Ukraine. Whilst the event offered a unique opportunity to welcome the recently released political prisoners, it also served as a timely reminder that more than 1,300 other political prisoners remain arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in appalling conditions, often without adequate medical care or the possibility to contact their families.

The event attracted wide attention from State delegations, non-governmental organisations and media.

During the 57th session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova presented her second comprehensive report which highlights the accelerated repression of human rights in Russia, particularly the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the right to participate in public affairs. It placed particular emphasis on the plight of Ukrainian individuals who have been arbitrarily detained and forcibly transferred or deported to the Russian Federation in the context of the war against Ukraine. The full report is available in full in English and Russian.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Mission in Geneva.