On Saturday 5 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) criticised the arrest of over 1,500 protesters, including Vladimir Putin's main opponent Alexei Navalny, in several towns in Russia earlier that day, and the "violence used against them by the Russian authorities".
The spokesperson said in a press release that the arrests and violence "threaten the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly" in the country, and that the detention of journalists threatens the freedom of the media.
"These fundamental rights are enshrined in the Russian constitution and we expect them to be protected, not eroded", the spokesperson said. And even if some of the anti-government demonstrations were not authorised, "this cannot justify police brutality and mass arrests", the spokesperson added.
The EEAS spokesperson warned that the EU expects the Russian authorities to abide fully by the international commitments Russia has made, including in the Council of Europe and the OSCE, "to uphold these rights, and release without delay peaceful demonstrators and journalists". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)