Hungary does not condemn Russian police’s violence against protesters

Moscow police
Moscow, Russia. Photo: MTI/AP/Alekxandr Zemljanishenko

Hungary was the one to hinder the joint statement of the European Union condemning the violence of the Russian police against protestors.

Member States of the EU had the intention to condemn violence carried out by the Russian police against protesters standing up for Alexei Navalny and protesting against his arrest, writes telex.hu.

The statement, however, was only signed by 26 countries, and Hungary is not one of them

– Szabad Európa noticed this. According to the news site, signing the statement by all countries would have been crucial for the EU to put the question on the agenda of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in its session on Thursday. “As this initiative seems to be failing, the United States will bring the issue up during the Vienna session,” they write.

The statement reaffirms that “everyone has the right to peaceful assembly” and that “journalists and media actors should be able to do their job of reporting”. Those who signed the document “urge the Russian authorities to immediately release those who have been arbitrarily detained” and “to set Mr Navalny free”.

Last Saturday, protesters in Russia hit the streets in hundreds of cities.

3,800 people have been detained, among whom many are journalists.

Videos have been circling on the internet of the violence committed by the authorities, for instance, how a woman was kicked in the stomach by a member of the special forces.

Navalny is one of the most well-known Russian opposition politicians, the main critic of Vladimir Putin. According to Russian authorities, he has been detained for possible violation of the conditions of his suspended jail sentence. If found guilty, he can be sentenced to three and a half years of prison.

The Russian prison services demanded the return of Navalny, and when the politician said that he would indeed travel back from Berlin to Russia, the country announced that he would be detained once he crosses the border. It did happen so. Last Friday, Navalny sent a message from his detainment saying that he does not plan on committing suicide and that he is in good health, referring to a possible scenario that if he were to die suddenly, everyone can freely suspect foul play.

Hungary is being careful when it comes to relations between the two countries, as co-operation on many levels is important for the small Central European country, especially in these times of a global pandemic when Russian vaccines used in Hungary are gaining more importance than before. 

Source: Szabad Európa

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