FILE – In this Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 file photo, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny gestures as he stands behind a grass of the cage in the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Russia. Navalny was taken to a prison in Pokrov city after Moscow city court rejected appeal against his prison sentence on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:58 AM PT – Tuesday, March 2, 2021
The United Nations has expressed support for Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. On Monday, the intergovernmental organization said the chemical attack against Navalny and his eventual incarceration is an attempt to crack down on political opposition by the Putin regime.
“The attempt on Mr. Navalny’s life did not happen in a vacuum, it happened because of who he is and what he has been doing,” stated Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur for Free Speech (UN). “He’s a politician and an anti-corruption activist.”
The United Nations also refuted claims by Russian state media that falsely accused Navalny of hate speech towards migrants.
“There is no excuse, no justification for the violations that Mr. Navalny has suffered,” Khan continued. “The right to life, his right not to be tortured, his right to have free speech, to carry out his political activities — none of that is affected by what he may or may not have said before.”
Human rights experts @AgnesCallamard and @Irenekhan say an international investigation into the sinister poisoning of Alexei #Navalny must remain a priority, stress the urgent need to find the truth on what happened to him and ensure accountability. ➡️https://t.co/1fz28iq6JJ pic.twitter.com/iFVrt8sYZI
— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) March 1, 2021
The United Nations is now considering a probe into Navalny’s poisoning and incarceration. It noted these actions were undertaken by the Putin regime in violation of both Russian and international law.
