Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
370. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise concerns regarding the recent arrest of a person (details supplied) with the Russian authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3638/21]
View answerAs you will have seen in my statement of 18 January, I join the EU, US, UK and others in condemning the detention of Alexei Navalny on his return to Moscow on 17 January and I call for his immediate release.
Having survived an attempted poisoning on Russian soil, Mr Navalny chose to return home of his own free will. His detention, immediately upon arrival, raises serious questions around the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights. I am also deeply concerned by the mass detentions and scenes of police violence during peaceful protests across Russia on 23 January.
Unfortunately there has been deterioration in the environment for civil society in Russia. The recent changes in the foreign agents’ law are an example of this and I am concerned that these laws could be used to further crack down on civil society and critical voices.
I reiterate the call for Russia to carry out a transparent investigation into the poisoning of Mr. Navalny in full co-operation with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Ireland's view on this detention has been communicated directly to the Russian ambassador at official level. EU foreign Ministers considered this issue at our meeting on Monday 25 January and we discussed the next steps for a response. As a first step HR/VP Borrell intends to convey the EU's position to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov when he travels to Moscow in early February. I will continue to engage with my colleagues to develop a firm EU response.
