Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise with the Taoiseach some issues that flow from the briefing we held yesterday with a group of Russians known as Free Russians Ireland. These are people who are steadfast in their opposition to the authoritarian Putin regime, who are completely opposed to Putin's invasion of Ukraine and who are calling for peace and for Ireland to facilitate peace talks. One of the things they spoke about was the repression of anti-war activists in Russia. Approximately 20,000 people have been arrested. Many of them, including friends of those in Free Russians Ireland, were arrested just for holding up blank pieces of paper. The group comprises Russian citizens living in Ireland now. Many of them fear they will be forced to go back to Russia, to a regime they are publicly on record as opposing through speaking in this Parliament. Will the Government accept that fleeing conscription in Russia should be a ground for the granting of asylum to people like those in the group?

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