Freed Russian Prisoners Urge Action as UN Expert Condemns Worsening Repression

By Emma Farge

GENEVA – Freed Russian political prisoners expressed their desire for the release of over 1,000 individuals still imprisoned, as a U.N. expert reported a marked increase in state repression in Russia that threatens lives.

At a gathering of diplomats and human rights organizations in Geneva, a group of political prisoners who were released in August during a significant prisoner swap, which included U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, urged nations to increase pressure on the Russian government.

Russian officials have dismissed allegations of intensified repression, claiming the West often exaggerates conditions within the country.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician recently released from a Siberian penal colony, emphasized the plight of those still incarcerated. "Let us not forget about all the others who are left behind, who still have to wake up at 5 in the morning…and walk around in a small circle in the snow and just stare at a wall every day," he said.

Kevin Lik, a 19-year-old German-Russian national facing treason charges, shared his emotional experience of solitary confinement in Russia’s far northwest. He recounted being denied phone calls with family and access to reading materials. "The only thing I can say now is that young political prisoners are not just statistics; they are the future of Russia, and we must take actions to ensure this future is not stolen," he stated in front of diplomats and rights advocates.

Earlier, U.N. Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova addressed the U.N. Human Rights Council, indicating that oppression in Russia has intensified since the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, with the number of political prisoners rising to over 1,300.

Many of these individuals have been imprisoned on what Katzarova described as "Kafkian charges," including a priest who received a seven-year sentence for praying against the war. "They risk anything from death, like opposition leader Alexei Navalny, or seriously jeopardizing their health," she remarked, highlighting the increased use of torture and solitary confinement.

Katzarova’s role is distinctive, as she is the only independent expert appointed to report on one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. She noted that Russian authorities did not respond to her requests for comment, so her findings relied on interviews with human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations, journalists, and lawyers.

At the U.N. council on Tuesday, Russia’s seat was vacant, and its diplomatic mission in Geneva did not reply to requests for commentary.

Russian officials previously stated that Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, passed away of natural causes on February 16 in an Arctic prison. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has accused the Kremlin of orchestrating his death, a claim that the Russian government vehemently denies.