Alexei Navalny was stripped of his “prisoner of conscience status” by Amnesty International. This call was madde after Amnesty International was sent complaints highlighting xenophobic comments that Navalny has made in the past and has not renounced. A spokesman said he believed the call to remove this status was part of a campaign to discredit Navalny and reduce calls from Amnesty for his release.
Amnesty international concluded that these statements made by Navalny amount to “hate speech” and makes him incompatible for the status of a “prisoner of conscience.” Navalny is serving a prison sentence in Russia that is seen as punishment for his activism and opposition to the corruption of Russia’s rich and powerful. After receiving the status of “prisoner of conscience,” amnesty was hit with many requests from concerned citizens for his status to be removed after recalling his comments made almost 15 years ago.
Read more: Amnesty strips Alexei Navalny of ‘prisoner of conscience’ status
