Following Alexei Navalnyy’s death, the Secretary General to the Council of Europe, Marija Marija Pejčinović Burić made the following statement:
“I am profoundly dismayed and outraged by the news of the sudden death of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyy in a Russian prison. The Russian authorities must conduct an immediate and thorough investigation and make the findings available to the public in line with their international obligations.
“At the same time, Mr Navalnyy’s tragic fate cannot be considered separately from the ordeal of human rights violations that he faced including the attempt on his life three years ago, a series of politically motivated criminal cases as well as his unjust imprisonment and detention in inhuman and degrading conditions. Unfortunately, previous Council of Europe calls to release him based on the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights which Russia has an obligation to implement went unheeded.
“By returning to Russia three years ago, Alexei Navalnyy bravely defied an unfree and unfair system based on repression and the brutal and repeated silencing of opponents. His resonant sacrifice is not only a stark reminder of Russia’s utter disregard for the human rights of its own citizens but also a testament to the heavy price of standing up for the values of human rights, democracy and rule of law.
“On behalf of the Council of Europe, I express heartfelt condolences and solidarity to his family and colleagues.”
Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement:
“Saddened and deeply disturbed by the reported death of Alexei Navalnyy today, I, in my capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, would like to express my deepest sympathy to his wife, family and friends for the cruel situation they find themselves in, caused by the Russian authorities.
Last December, the Committee of Ministers once again strongly condemned the fact that Mr Alexei Navalnyy was still in prison despite the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and urged the Russian authorities to ensure his immediate release, asking them also to ensure that he could freely consult independent doctors and that his lawyers could visit him without hindrance. Despite this appeal and in breach of their international obligations, the Russian authorities have continued to detain Mr Navalnyy. Responsibility for his death – whatever the circumstances – lies with them, as it does for so many similar recent cases.
Today is a sad day for the defenders of freedom, democracy and human rights in Europe; values to which the Russian Federation has turned its back ever more blatantly since the launching of its war of aggression against Ukraine.”