Amnesty speaks on over 700 political prisoners in Russia after swap deal

By Stefan Heinemeyer, dpa I Saturday, August 03, 2024

 

BERLIN – Following the unprecedented prisoner exchange between Russia and the West, the human rights organization Amnesty International is urging the German government to advocate for the release of other political prisoners in Moscow.

“The German government needs to advocate for their release just as loudly and clearly,” the organization’s Deputy Secretary General Christian Mihr told German public radio Deutschlandfunk in an interview published online late Friday.

According to human rights groups, there are around 700 political prisoners in Russian prisons, with some claiming that there are even more than 1,000 political prisoners. “We must not forget them,” Mihr added.

In an unprecedented prisoner exchange, 16 people were released by Russia and Belarus on Thursday, including journalists, artists, dissidents and activists who had been imprisoned. In return, 10 people were handed over to Moscow, including the convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov and spies.

“The exchange has a very bitter aftertaste,” Mihr said about the deal.

The Kremlin, he said, benefits not only directly from the release of intelligence agents, as Russia might now assume it can obtain the release of other Russian agents in exchange for foreigners imprisoned in Russia.

From Mihr’s perspective, it has become even more dangerous for foreign nationals to travel to Russia.

The Amnesty representative also called on the German government to ensure the safety of Russians living in exile. He said that it has been seen multiple times that the “long Russian arm of repression” extends into European countries.

Former German interior minister Gerhart Baum defended the prisoner exchange. The Free Democrat (FDP) politician acknowledged on Deutschlandfunk that it was a “dilemma” and a risk. However, he said he thought the deal was the right thing to do.

It was also about the lives of those released to the West, Baum said. He asked, “Should we have simply abandoned the other Russia that is crystallizing there?”