04/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 4 July, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service condemned the Russian authorities for continuing their “systematic oppression and disregard of human rights of their own citizens”. “Repressive legislation and politically motivated trials are used to crack down on those who speak up against the illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and for democracy and human rights in Russia”, he denounced, citing the cases of Memorial co-chair Oleg Orlov, political opponent Alexei Navalny, journalist Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov. The EU expects the Russian authorities to put an end to the attacks and ensure that journalists and human rights defenders are able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals, the spokesperson added. (CG)