UN experts shine light on remaining Russian ‘political prisoners’

United Nations experts on Friday welcomed the prisoner swap deal between Moscow and the West — but said up to nearly 1,400 others were still being detained by Russia on politically motivated charges.

All remaining human rights defenders, journalists and anti-war critics convicted in sham trials in Russia must be released, the experts said in a joint statement. A total of 24 people were freed in Thursday’s exchange — 16 headed to the West and eight to Russia — in the biggest prisoner swap deal since the Cold War. Russia released US journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, and ex-marine Paul Whelan, as well as high-profile domestic dissidents.

The UN experts said most of those released by Moscow were arbitrarily detained for peacefully opposing the Russian government and its war against Ukraine through human rights advocacy, journalism, artistic expression and political activism. “Their detentions violated international human rights standards and reflected an intensified crackdown on dissent and free expression in Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” they said.

The experts voiced joy and relief they had been freed from “brutal treatment” in detention. “However, we remain deeply concerned about the 700 to 1,372 other political prisoners still detained in Russia on fabricated or politically motivated charges. “Their continued imprisonment exposes them to the risk of further human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearance.

“The Russian government must immediately and unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners.” UN experts are unpaid, independent figures appointed by the Human Rights Council. They therefore do not speak for the United Nations. They urged Russia to repeal legislation restricting freedom of expression. “It is crucial to amend criminal laws and prevent the misuse of national security laws to silence dissent and target opposition figures, human rights defenders and journalists reporting truthfully on the war against Ukraine and critical of the Russian government,” they said.