18/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Court of Human Rights’ call for the immediate release of Alexei Navalny is “unacceptable interference in Russia’s home affairs”, the Kremlin said on Thursday morning. Yesterday, the Court published its decision, taken the day before, to follow up on the request for an “interim measure” communicated by the opponent on 20 January. Taken based on Article 39 of the European Convention on Human Rights (based on the “imminent risk of irreparable harm”), measures granted in this context in no way prejudge the admissibility of the case concerned but apply with immediate effect and are not subject to any appeal. In this case, the Strasbourg judges called for the applicant’s release in view of the “extent of risk to the applicant’s life”. (VL)