Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I welcome the Deputy raising these questions because we do not have the same level of scrutiny on Russia in this House as perhaps we should have with regard to debate. It is a striking feature of the House that there has been an absence of a more detailed debate as to what is happening within Russia in the suppression of freedom of expression. I agree with Deputy O'Callaghan and I salute the bravery of Mr. Kara-Murza and Mr. Yashin and their commitment to speak out against their authoritarian government, which underlines the bravery of many civilians in Russia, Russian civil society and political opposition. It takes extraordinary bravery to do that.

The EU is doing everything it can and sanctions are one key area. We are also conscious that the three lawyers who had been defending Mr. Navalny were added to Russia's list of terrorists and extremists in November 2023. They remain in pre-trial detention to this day and are facing up to six years' imprisonment. International pressure and the isolation of Russia internationally must be considered given the extreme behaviour of this country against its own civilians who dare to speak up. It is shocking.

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