The Council of Europe considers that there is “no doubt” about the fact that the Moscow bears “full responsibility” for the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died today, aged 47, in a prison in the Arctic.

“There is no doubt that the Russian state, which tried to poison him, illegally imprisoned him and systematically subjected him to inhumane and terrible treatment, bears full responsibility for his death,” said Theodoros Roussopoulos, the president of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “This is in addition to all the crimes already committed by the Russian regime,” he added.

Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe two years ago after its invasion of Ukraine.

“The death of Navalny is a huge loss for the Russian people. As a courageous and determined defender of his rights, he showed how the power of truth can defy even the strongest and most oppressive dictatorships,” Mr Roussopoulos continued.

“The tragic fate of Navalny cannot be separated from the human rights violations he suffered, notably the assassination attempt three years ago, a series of politically motivated criminal cases, and his unjust imprisonment and detention in inhumane and humiliating conditions”, commented the general secretary of the Council, Marija Pejčinović Burić, for her part. “Returning to Russia three years ago, Alexei Navalny courageously defied an illiberal and unjust system based on the oppression and silencing of the opposition,” he added. His “sacrifice” is “a brutal reminder of Russia’s complete disregard for human rights and its own citizens,” he concluded.

Last June, Moscow was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, the judicial arm of the Council of Europe, for failing to investigate the attempted poisoning of Navalny in 2020.