Human rights expert says US-Russia prisoner swap is ‘unprecedented diplomatic act’
More than 20 people have been released, including journalists and dissidents.
Among them was American Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for Wall Street Journal; Also Kurmasheva and Radio Freedom American citizen and recent Pulitzer Prize winner Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-born British journalist and activist, were all released from Russian prisons.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, has repeatedly campaigned for their release.
Good News in Dark Times
“I couldn’t even believe it,” she said in an exclusive interview with United Nations News.
“In the dark times we live in, when every day in Russia there are new arrests, new trials and daily news of shocking human rights violations, suddenly there is such good news.”
Many people in Russia – human rights defenders, members of civil society – “crying tears of joy” that day, Ms Katzarova said.
“This is truly an unprecedented diplomatic act. And this could be the largest exchange of political prisoners since the Cold War,” she said.
“Of course, today we are very happy that finally, people who should not have been convicted in the first place have been released, such as Vladimir Kara-Murza, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, Oleg Orlov, Sasha Skochilenko, members of the Anti-Corruption Fund, Lilia Chanisheva and Ksenia Fadeeva, and others.”
Release all political prisoners
But while celebrating, the human rights expert urged the international community not to forget the political prisoners still being held, numbering at least 700, although some estimates put the number at more than 1,000.
“Today, we must once again call for their immediate and unconditional release from Russian prisons,” she said.
“They shouldn’t be there. They are there because they are accused of expressing their opposition to the war against Ukraine.”
She estimated that at least 33 journalists were in prison “precisely because they wrote reports and documents” opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Remembering Alexei Navalny
“Today we must remember that this exchange and release of political prisoners took place without Alexei Navalny,” she noted, referring to the opposition politician who died earlier this year in a Siberian prison.
“If he survives, he will have to participate in this exchange,” she stressed.
Special rapporteurs like Ms. Katzarova are appointed by the United Nations. Dong Nhan Quy Associationheadquartered in Geneva.
They are tasked with monitoring and reporting on specific country situations or topical issues.
These experts serve on a voluntary basis and are independent of any government or organization. They are not employees of the United Nations and receive no remuneration for their work.
