Russia - Crackdown on journalists and the opposition (6 September 2022)

France is deeply concerned by the Russian authorities’ crackdown on opinions critical of the government and its war of aggression against Ukraine. We condemn the many barriers to the freedom of speech and freedom of the press that have risen up in recent months.

France also deplores yesterday’s revocation of the distribution license of the paper edition of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper by a Moscow court a few days after the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, who had helped establish it, as well as the 22-year prison sentence handed down against former Russian journalist Ivan Safronov.

France is concerned about possible charges against former Yekaterinburg mayor Yevgeny Roizman, who risks up to 10 years in prison for denouncing the war of aggression against Ukraine.

France calls on the Russian authorities to respect human rights and fundamental liberties, to release all political prisoners, and to drop the charges against them.