02/06/2021 (Agence Europe) – On the evening of Tuesday 1 June, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service denounced the removal from a plane in St. Petersburg and subsequent detention for alleged violation of the law on ‘undesirable organisations’ of Andrei Pivovarov, former executive director of Open Russia. He faces six years in prison. “This case is not an isolated incident but confirms a continuous pattern of shrinking space for civil society, the opposition and critical voices as well as independent media” in the Russian Federation, the spokesman said in a statement. On behalf of the EU, he called on the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mr Pivovarov. and to repeal the legislation on ‘undesirable organisations’, bringing it into line with Russia’s commitments under European and international human rights law. (CG)