“This is a victory for diplomacy,” says Amnesty International

“It is a victory for diplomacy”reacts Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as five Western countries have carried out a prisoner exchange with Russia and Belarus. Among them, the American journalist Evan Gershkovich, the ex-Marine Paul Whelan or the Russian-British political opponent Vladimir Kara-Mourza, but also Russian nationals convicted of espionage or murder.

Marie Struthers is happy for the prisoners and their loved ones, but hopes “May this event shed light on the injustice and suffering to which they were subjected. These human rights defenders should never have been imprisoned”she emphasizes.

“We will redouble our efforts to free those who were unjustly detained for raising their voices against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.”assures Marie Struthers. The human rights activist recalls that many people are imprisoned in Russia for having demonstrated their opposition to the war in Ukraine.

“It is an entire repressive system that not only imprisons those who oppose the war in Ukraine, but also isolates, separates children from their parents and exiles dissidents from their country.”

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

on franceinfo

According to a report published in May by Amnesty International, children were placed in orphanages because they had drawn pictures against the war in Ukraine, among other things. “We still have a lot of work to do”she estimates. She does not know how many nationals are imprisoned in Russia, but assures that “dozens and dozens of Russian defenders, activists and journalists” are imprisoned in Russian jails.