24/07/2020 (Agence Europe) – The spokeswoman for the European External Action Service called on Friday 24 July for the immediate and unconditional release “on humanitarian grounds” of Russian historian and human rights activist Yuri Dmitriev after he was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for “violence of a sexual nature”. He has already been detained for over three years. According to the spokesperson, the accusations against Mr Dmitriev seem to have been motivated by his human rights work and his research on political repression during the Soviet period. “His treatment is part of a trend towards increased arrests and the discrediting of human rights defenders in the Russian Federation”, she said, saying the verdict could further reduce the space for civil society and independent voices in the country. (CG)