Ukraine urges to apply all mechanisms of world’s pressure on Russia in response to crackdown on protests

01.02.2021 15:11

Ukrinform

The international community must act more decisively in response to the crackdown on protests in Russia on January 31 and immediately apply all international mechanisms of pressure, including sanctions, over human rights violations.

As Ukrinform reports, this is stated in the comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry states that the protests in the Russian Federation on January 31 were marked by a new round of human rights violations and brutal violence against protesters and journalists who covered the events.

"Another act of suppression of the rights of Russian citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech, arrests of opposition members and media representatives, persecution of those, who disagree with the aggressive policy of the Russian authorities inside and outside the country, are alarming evidence of further restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms and Russia’s violation of its obligations in the field of human rights," Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry stresses.

Ukrainian diplomats note that the Russian government, which cultivates lawlessness and violence in the country and grossly violates the rights of its citizens, uses similar methods and approaches in international politics, undermining international peace and security.

"Such actions must receive a response from the international community. The time has come for more decisive action and prosecution for violent actions against own people and aggression against the peoples of neighboring countries. It is well known that the feeling of impunity breeds violence. That is why all international mechanisms of pressure, including sanctions, over human rights violations must be applied immediately. Today, the price of calls for a continuation of the dialogue with Russia is new beaten and detained protesters, who stand for human rights and democracy, and further unleashing of a spiral of violence in Russia," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underscores.

As reported, rallies for the release of politician Alexei Navalny were held in Russia on January 23 and January 31. According to OVS-Info Russian project to help detainees, more than 4,000 people were detained in the rallies on January 23 and more than 5,000 people were detained in the rallies on January 31. Police also used stun guns and tear gas during the rallies on January 31.

Forty criminal cases were initiated against the participants in the rallies of January 23 and January 31 in 18 regions of Russia.