Poland is among states demanding inquiry into Navalny's death
Poland along with 14 other countries have stated that the sole responsibility for the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny falls on the Russian authorities and called for a thorough and transparent investigation into his death, reads a joint statement.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the statement on its website on the second anniversary of Alexei Navalny's death on Monday.
"On the second commemoration of Alexei Navalny’s death in a Russian penal colony, we once again express our deepest condolences to his family. We underline that the Russian authorities remain solely responsible," reads the statement.
The signatories of the document also recalled that European Court of Human Rights had stated on February 3 that Russia bears responsibility for the inhuman and degrading treatment of Navalny in detention and for the lack of adequate response to his requests.
"Especially given recent findings published by the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands, we reiterate our demands for a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death," the 15 countries wrote.
On Saturday, five European countries said that Navalny, who died in 2024, was killed using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin, and that "only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin".
Russia has firmly rejected the accusations.
The statement also underlined that the human rights situation in Russia had rapidly deteriorated, and that the Kremlin had consolidated and expanded its repertoire of repressive tactics.
"As Navalny`s legacy endures, we stand by the brave Russian human rights defenders and independent civil society actors that continue to work under ever greater personal risks," the statement said.
According to independent human rights monitor OVD-Info, more than 1,700 people are currently detained in Russia on political grounds, including Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian captivity.
"We remain steadfast: The Russian authorities must fully comply with all their international obligations and release all political prisoners," reads the document.
Apart from Poland, the statement has been signed by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Navalny survived a suspected poisoning with the Novichok nerve agent in 2020, for which he received treatment in a German hospital. He returned to Russia the following year and was arrested on arrival. Just over a year later, he died in the Polar Wolf penal colony above the Arctic Circle.
At the time, the Kremlin said Navalny had died of natural causes. Although the authorities initially refused to release his body, he was eventually buried in Moscow in March 2024. (PAP)
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