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3w ago

Ex-Political Prisoners Mark Exchange Anniversary With Call to Free Remaining Detainees

They signed an open letter urging Chancellor Merz alongside world leaders to elevate the plight of political prisoners across Russia extending into Belarus in every diplomatic engagement.

Menschen halten ein Banner mit der Aufschrift "Stand up for political prisoners" hoch.
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Paul Whelan ist einer derjenigen, die vor einem Jahr aus russischer Haft nach Hause kehren konnten. Doch die Zeit in Russland hat bei ihm Spuren hinterlassen.

Overview

  • Former detainees convened at Cologne-Bonn airport to mark one year since the 2024 prisoner exchange that freed 16 political inmates.
  • Eleven survivors signed an open letter calling on Chancellor Friedrich Merz alongside state leaders to make the fate of more than 1,500 people jailed for dissent across Russia with some held in Belarus a top diplomatic priority.
  • Speakers highlighted that Moscow granted no additional political releases following the August 1, 2024, swap.
  • The Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker reported that 134 Crimean Tatars remain in remote facilities under lengthy sentences meant to isolate them from family as well as legal counsel.
  • Human rights advocates criticized Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt for suspending humanitarian admission programs that once provided a safe exit route for at-risk defenders.