EU Statement on Alexei Navalny

1. The European Union is concerned by reports that Alexei Navalny’s health in the penal colony, to which he was transferred following the recent court decision to uphold his prison sentence, continues to deteriorate.
2. The EU calls on the Russian authorities to grant Mr Navalny immediate access to medical professionals he trusts.
3. We recall that Mr Navalny’s arrest, detention as well as the subsequent ruling to convert his suspended sentence into a prison term are based on court decisions which the European Court of Human Rights determined to be arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable. We reiterate our concerns expressed at the 1397^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 3 March 2021 about Mr Navalny’s detention and about the refusal of the Russian authorities to respect the interim measure granted by the Court with regard to the nature and extent of risk to Mr Navalny’s life, requesting his immediate release.
4. The EU, expecting Russia to fulfill its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Navalny.

The following countries align with this statement: Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine