(Wikipedia / Mitya Aleshkovsky) Russia opposition activist Alexei Navalny
DIPLOMATIC TIMES STAFF REPORT
UNITED NATIONS – NEW YORK – Russia is responsible for the poisoning and attempted killing of jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny, two independent UN rights experts said on Monday, issuing an “open call” for an international investigation into the incident. Special Rapporteurs Agnès Callamard and Irene Khan believe the politician was poisoned to send a “clear, sinister warning” to anyone wanting to criticize the Government.
"An international investigation into the sinister poisoning of #AlexeiNavalny must remain a priority" – @AgnesCallamard & @Irenekhan say there is urgent need to find truth about what happened to the Russian opposition leader and to ensure accountability 👉 https://t.co/nEwxp1wY2t pic.twitter.com/uj5puUd1QH
— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) March 1, 2021
Mr. Navalny fell violently ill on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow last August. He was later flown to Germany where toxicology reports determined he had been poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. On returning to Moscow last month, he was imprisoned for violating a sentence for alleged embezzlement.
“It is our conclusion that Russia is responsible for the attempted arbitrary killing of Mr. Navalny”, said Ms. Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, speaking during a press conference in Geneva.
The independent experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and are not UN staff nor are they paid by the Orgnaization.
They conducted a four-month investigation into the Navalny case and wrote to the Russian authorities last December but never received a response. Their letter was made public on Monday, in line with Council provisions.
They said only Russia is known to have developed, stored and used Novichok. A novel version was used against Mr. Navalny, suggesting further development of the toxin. It was also “very unlikely” that non-State actors would have the capacity to develop or use the nerve agent, or that private buyers would have the expertise to properly handle it.
“It is also the findings of our work that the poisoning and attempted killing of Mr. Navalny, along with the lack of investigation and the denying narratives, are part of a larger trend, ongoing over several decades, of arbitrary killings and attempted killings, including through poisoning, by the Russian authorities of journalists, critics and dissidents and are therefore consistent with an overall pattern of modus operandi”, Ms. Callamard added.
