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The European Court of Human Rights ruled earlier today that the Russian government’s persecution of Alexei Navalny, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF), and their supporters was unlawful and politically motivated, according to the Telegram channel “Lawyers. Navalny Team,” which posted the full text of the judgment.
“The ECHR fully agreed with our position and found that since 2019 Russia has engaged in the political persecution of a lawful political opposition — including searches, the freezing of bank accounts, bans on participating in elections, and the assignment of ‘foreign agent’ and ‘extremist’ labels,” Navalny’s team said in a statement.
The ACF’s lawyers added that this was the largest case the foundation has ever won at the ECHR. “Most importantly, the court recognized the political nature of the persecution — a violation of Article 18 of [the European Convention on Human Rights],” they said.
Several months after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights and refused to comply with ECHR rulings. However, the court continues to consider complaints related to violations committed before Sept. 16, 2022 — even if its capacity to enforce such judgements under the current circumstances is extremely limited.