The Diplomat
The Government yesterday deplored the 25-year prison sentence handed down to Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza and the arrest of American journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the Executive “strongly” rejects the sentence handed down on Monday against Kara-Murza, accused of high treason, as well as the “unfounded arrest” of Gershkovich, who works for the ‘Wall Street Journal’ and has been accused of espionage.
“We call once again for the release of all persons unjustly imprisoned in Russia,” states the text issued by the department headed by José Manuel Albares.
In addition, the Government denounces “the progressive deterioration of Human Rights and political freedoms in Russia“, and reaffirms Spain’s solidarity “with the Human Rights defenders and members of the democratic opposition who continue to be persecuted and harassed by the Russian authorities”.
The communiqué of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a continuation of the one signed by the permanent representatives of fifty countries in the United Nations, among them the Spanish one, on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day to be celebrated on May 3.
In this text, the ambassadors express their “solidarity and admiration for journalists and media workers around the world who often risk their lives to inform us all”.
They specifically state that they are deeply concerned about the arrest of the Wall Street Journal reporter and denounce “Russian efforts to limit and intimidate the media.”
Noting that free, independent and pluralistic media play an indispensable role in informing people around the world, the signatories note the widespread outcry from Russian and international journalists in response to the recent arrest, including an open letter signed by dozens of leading figures in Russia’s independent media calling the case against them “absurd and unjust.”
The countries signing the communiqué insist that they will continue to advocate for press freedom and the safety of journalists around the world, concluding, “We urge the authorities of the Russian Federation to release those they are holding for political reasons and to end the draconian crackdown on freedom of expression, including against members of the media.”
