Europe’s rights court calls for Russia to free Alexei Navalny, citing ‘risk to life’
- Navalny was jailed upon returning to Russia last month following treatment in Germany for a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin
- Russia is a member of the Council of Europe rights body, which the European Court of Human Rights belongs to
Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken opponent, was arrested and jailed upon returning to Russia last month following months of treatment in Germany for a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.
The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights said it had upheld a request from Navalny for his release.
“The Court decided to indicate to the Government of Russia … to release the applicant. This measure shall apply with immediate effect,” the ECHR said.
It said that the ruling was taken with “regard to the nature and extent of risk to the applicant’s life”.
Russia is a member of the Council of Europe rights body, which the ECHR belongs to. Member states are obliged to enforce ECHR decisions, though in practice they may not be implemented.
The court said Russia insisted in its argument to the court that Navalny was being held in an appropriately guarded facility and that his cell was under video surveillance.
But Navalny, who lodged a complaint on January 20, contended that “the arrangements listed by the government could not provide sufficient safeguards for his life and health”, the court said.
