UN Special Rapporteur Calls Russia's Actions Against Navalny 'Politically Motivated'

UN Special Rapporteur Calls Russia's Actions Against Navalny 'Politically Motivated'

Russian authorities' actions toward opposition figure Alexey Navalny, including his prosecution, have a pattern of politically motivated steps seeking to "suppress him as a political opponent," UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan said on Monday

GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2021) Russian authorities' actions toward opposition figure Alexey Navalny, including his prosecution, have a pattern of politically motivated steps seeking to "suppress him as a political opponent," UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan said on Monday.

"The Russian authorities brought criminal charges against him for fraud and money laundering, investigated, prosecuted and convicted him ostensibly for these criminal offenses. But the underlying purpose appears to have been to retaliate against him for his political opposition and to threaten and discourage him from participating in public affairs, organizing public rallies and carrying out his anti-corruption reporting," Khan, the rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, told a press conference.

She argued that other steps by Russian authorities toward Navalny had a "similar pattern of politically motivated actions to restrict and suppress him as a political opponent."

Navalny was arrested in January upon his arrival from Germany, where he was treated from his alleged poisoning, for violating probation terms on the 2014 fraud conviction.

In early February, a Moscow court canceled his suspended sentence in the Yves Rocher fraud case over multiple probation breaches and replaced it with 3.5 years in jail. Taking into account the time he had spent under house arrest, the opposition blogger will have to spend some 2.5 years behind bars.