The EU has accused Russia of expanding internal repression and said there are now more than 1,800 political prisoners in the country, in a statement marking a day of remembrance for victims of Soviet-era state terror.
The EU said it was paying tribute to “millions of repressed” people and to those in Russia who are preserving their names “at great personal cost”, according to a statement published by the European External Action Service (EEAS)
It also stated that the Kremlin is trying to erase the memory of victims of Soviet terror and is threatening prosecution against people who challenge the official version of the past.
EU names prisoners in call for releases
The EU called for the “immediate and unconditional release and effective rehabilitation” of all political prisoners in Russia, according to the EEAS.
It listed several individuals it said should be freed, including Alexei Gorinov, Ivan Safronov, Igor Baryshnikov, Maria Ponomarenko, Antonina Favorskaya, Nika Novak and Alexander Kynev.
Political activists, human rights defenders, journalists, historians and scientists are being subjected to “systematic, state-sponsored internal repression,” the statement said.
Many detainees face “inhumane conditions and torture”, while opposition politician Alexei Navalny “paid with his life”, the EU declared.
