Freeing the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience

 Article 6: Freeing political prisoners in Russia

 

Russia will release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Russian prisons. The list will include but not limited to Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich. Russia will cancel laws related to foreign agents and withdraw related bans. All sentences related to criticizing war or discrediting the Russian army will be cancelled, the prisoners freed, and the charges annulled with retrospective effect.

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Russia and the west signed several documents agreeing about indivisibility of security. As mentioned earlier, Russia accuses the west of breaching those promises. However, those promises were not unconditional. The agreements expected Russia to follow democratic norms and respect human rights.

 

Vladimir Putin and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov repeatedly cite the 1999 charter text for insisting on ‘indivisible security’. However, the Istanbul document, to which they refer, gives a context.  

 

Article 19 of that document says: “We reaffirm that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law is at the core of OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security. We commit ourselves to counter such threats to security as violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief and manifestations of intolerance, aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia and anti-semitism.”

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By signing this document, Russia had reaffirmed their respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. Over the years, Putin’s Russia has reneged on all those commitments. Vladimir Putin is a law graduate. He understands the meaning of human rights and freedoms being the core of the comprehensive concept of security. Russia has now fallen so low that in April 2023, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a journalist, was sentenced to 25 years of rigourous imprisonment for criticising the war.

 

Article 5 of the same Istanbul document discusses Yugoslavia.: “The democratic shortcomings in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia remain one of the fundamental sources of grave concern in the region. The leaders and people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia must put the country firmly on the path towards democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. When conditions permit, the OSCE stands ready to assist in order to accelerate democratization, promote independent media and hold free and fair elections in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We emphasize our desire to see the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a full partner. Real progress towards democracy will be a positive step towards equal participation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the international community, including in the OSCE, and will create a new basis for growth and prosperity.”

 

In this article, one can replace Yugoslavia with Russia.

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If USA/NATO were to make concessions for making peace in Europe, Russia must also take steps towards human rights, democracy and freedom of speech.

 

Is that possible with Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president? The world must take its chance. If the world waits for Putin’s regime to be replaced, one million more lives may be lost, a nuclear assault and a serious World War III are possible, prisoners like Alexey Navalny, Vladmir Kara-Murza and Evan Gershkovich (a Wall Street journalist) may die to sustained persecution. Ukraine may be so wrecked as to make re-building it impossible. Is all that worth it because the world doesn’t wish to take a chance with Vladimir Putin? Knowing well that his eventual replacement may be worse than him?

 

The world has taken several chances with Putin. In 2008, Putin launched a war on Georgia and annexed 20% of its territory. The world continued with Putin. In 2014, Putin grabbed Crimea. Russia continued to be part of the UN security council and retained its veto rights.

 

People may think what happens inside Russia is Russia’s business. It is, if Russia were to behave like a normal State. The Russian repression has reached such levels that Russian people are victims of the Putin regime as well. Demanding the freedom of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience is a tangible step towards improving human rights in Russia.

 

The USA went to lengths to free Brittney Griner, the basketball celebrity, held hostage by Russia. The US released Victor Bout, a notorious international arms dealer. Now the Putin’s regime has held Ukraine hostage to make demands on USA/NATO. If the USA can make concessions for a single American citizen, surely, they can make concessions to free forty million Ukrainians. The collateral benefit is giving freedom to prisoners in Russia – both individuals and institutions. To achieve such freedom for millions, if USA/NATO must offer Russia security guarantees, stop NATO expansion, reduce weapons, reduce numbers of nuclear bases, all that is worth it for world peace.

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Ravi