Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the case of a political prisoner (details supplied) in Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10849/24]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his response to the recent developments in the cases of political prisoners in Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10799/24]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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68. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the case of a political prisoner (details supplied) in Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10848/24]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Question No. 8 is being taken by Deputy Jim O'Callaghan.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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A number of weeks ago, I raised with the Tánaiste the plight of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition figure who at that time was incarcerated in an Arctic penal colony. We now know tragically that he was killed in that colony and his funeral has taken place. What is the Tánaiste's response on that? Other political prisoners have also been incarcerated by President Putin, in particular Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin. Does he have anything to say on their plight?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I pay tribute to the Deputy, who was probably the first Member of this House to raise the question of Alexei Navalny during Oral Questions in a long time. Unfortunately, Mr. Navalny's death was announced subsequently.

Ireland is deeply concerned at the ongoing shocking erosion of human rights in Russia, and the persecution of individuals for exercising their personal freedoms, including rights to freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly. The domestic political situation in Russia has steadily descended into authoritarianism over in recent years and has deteriorated even further since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin. There are ongoing examples of mass arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as harassment of peaceful anti-war activists, human rights defenders, journalists, cultural figures and ethnic minorities. Domestic opposition leaders have been arrested and prosecuted on politically motivated charges. Legislation has been introduced to essentially shut down civil society in Russia.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation has described a so-called legal carousel whereby victims are put through a series of arbitrary detentions until a fabricated criminal charge is raised against the victim. Confessions are frequently obtained through the use of torture or other coercive practices. There is no independent oversight, reporting, or investigation mechanisms, which perpetuates impunity for such serious crimes.

Lawyers in Russia who fight to protect human rights defenders, journalists, opposition activists, anti-war protesters or victims of human rights violations in Russia are also targets of political pressure. This pressure includes legal harassment and prosecution, and physical violence amounting to torture and ill-treatment.

The sudden and shocking death of the opposition leader and political prisoner Alexei Navalny on 16 February is yet another indication of the ongoing deterioration and disregard for human rights and international law by Putin’s authoritarian regime. Ireland, along with our European Union partners, has been clear in our condemnation of Mr. Navalny’s death. His death reminds us of the fundamental freedoms that we all too often take for granted. He died in a penal colony in the Arctic Circle where he was serving a sentence of 19 years under politically motivated charges. This followed his earlier poisoning with a toxic nerve agent. Ireland considers that the ultimate responsibility for the death of Mr. Navalny rests with Russian leadership.

I attended the European Union Foreign Affairs Council on 19 February, where Ministers from EU member states heard from the widow of Mr. Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, and discussed a co-ordinated EU response.

Russia is currently subject to the most comprehensive and far-reaching sanctions ever imposed by the European Union. The European Union adopted additional sanctions on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion and continues to keep its sanctions under review, including in response to the death of Mr. Navalny and the increasing erosion of human rights and civil liberties in Russia. Ireland is supportive of further EU sanctions targeted specifically at those directly responsible for Mr. Navalny’s death and options are currently being considered in discussions in Brussels. Ireland has taken a number of other actions, including summoning the Russian ambassador to Ireland to express our outrage at Mr Navalny’s death.

Ireland shares international concern at the situation of other political prisoners in Russia. These include Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian national and opposition leader, who was arrested in April 2022 after he referred to Russia as being run by a regime of murderers in a televised interview. Mr. Kara-Murza is serving a 25-year sentence in a Siberian penal colony and has been the target of two previous assassination attempts through poisoning.

Ilya Yashin, another political prisoner, is currently serving eight years for publicly criticising the Russian Federation for committing war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine. Mr. Yashin has been involved in opposition politics for many years and until his arrest was a municipal deputy in Moscow. Mr. Yashin took the courageous decision to remain in Moscow in order to be a vocal critic of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Six weeks ago, that we discussed the plight of Alexei Navalny and his incarceration in the Arctic penal colony. At that time, I said that President Putin deals with his political opponents by either imprisoning them or poisoning them.

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I should also have mentioned at the time that when those two options do not work, he takes a further step and kills him. It gives me an opportunity to salute the bravery of Alexei Navalny in the bravery he disclosed not only nationally within Russia but internationally. I also commend the people who attended his funeral as it was a very brave act to display any sign of political opposition in Russia considering the previous record of President Putin.

The two individuals I am mentioning here today, and I welcome the fact the Tánaiste has dealt with both of them specifically, are Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin. As the Tánaiste has said, Mr. Kara-Murza is serving a 25-year sentence and suffered from suspected poisoning, and Yashin is serving an eight and a half year sentence. What does the Tánaiste think can be done internationally in trying to put further pressure on the Russian regime to ensure we do not see all political opposition there simply wiped out?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The violations of human rights in Russia and the stamping out of political opposition are important because Russia as a country exerts significant influence throughout the world. There are very many other countries around the world which do not comply with the principles of human rights that we respect in this country but they are of limited influence. Unfortunately, globally, Russia's influence is extending beyond its borders and it is having quite an impact in other countries. That is why it is important we keep focus on what is happening in that country. I welcome that there is concentration now on other political prisoners who are being incarcerated because of their political views.

It is important to recall in respect of Ilya Yashin that the reason he received an eight and a half year prison sentence was because he made statements about the killings in Bucha. We cannot forget what happened there regarding the violations of human rights, the mass killings of civilians and the war crimes which were committed there, and it is important we keep a focus on that in the same way as dissidents in Russia are keeping a focus on it in their own country.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I certainly join others in commending the bravery of Alexei Navalny and all others who stand against Putin's autocracy. The Tánaiste set out rightly the litany of human rights violations now afoot in Russia. On our actions, I produced and brought before the House, as the Chair of the justice committee here present will recall, the Magnitsky legislation to ensure we and our financial services sector here are not used as a conduit for the ill-gotten gains of the autocrats who now rule Russia. Will the Tánaiste undertake to re-examine the opposition of the Government to the enactment of the Magnitsky legislation which was unanimously supported on a cross-party basis both on Second Stage in this House and at the justice committee?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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First of all, Deputy O'Callaghan's point is a very fair and important one. Russia is no ordinary country and is a significant power. It wields considerable influence across the world, be it in Syria, Africa or in some parts of Europe. It clearly has significant influence on states within the EU and is endeavouring to disrupt some EU states. It has already now put EU leaders in Estonia and Latvia under threat of detention because of the alleged destruction of Russian monuments in European Union capitals. It is very serious because others follow and believe this is the way you control countries and citizens and rule. It allows for an expansion of authoritarianism.

Again, I was taken aback by some comments of Irish MEPs in respect of Mr. Navalny before he died, where they were condemning him and they were less than empathetic to his situation. There are a lot of double standards in Irish public life in respect of these matters, because we should all support freedom of expression in every society.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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On Magnitsky?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On the Magnitsky legislation, and the Deputy raised this at the time, the Department of Justice view was that we already had sufficient instruments that mirror the Magnitsky case, but again, I will go back because I know that the Deputy has been a very strong advocate for that and I have no issue at all with the principles behind that.