We deplore yesterday's rejection of the appeal lodged by journalist and opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza and the two-month prison sentence handed down against him, as well as the arrest of opposition politician Ilya Yashin on June 28. Vladimir Kara-Murza is also awaiting another trial in which he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
These incarcerations follow the jailing of many other government opponents who have been prosecuted by Russian courts in recent months. France is deeply troubled by the campaign of repression waged by the Russian authorities against people who are critical of the government and its war of aggression against Ukraine.
We call on the Russian authorities to abide by international human rights law and the freedom of information, to release these political prisoners and to drop the lawsuits against them.