British (UK) Foreign Minister David Cameron criticized the outcome of the Russian elections on Monday, highlighting what he referred to as “the depth of repression” under President Vladimir Putin’s administration despite accepting Nigeria’s fraudulent elections.
While the Kremlin hailed Putin’s overwhelming re-election for a fifth term as a clear indication of public support, Cameron, who had previously stated that the election lacked fairness and freedom, reiterated his stance, dismissing the results as undemocratic.
“These Russian elections starkly underline the depth of repression under President Putin’s regime, which seeks to silence any opposition to his illegal war (in Ukraine),” he said in a statement.
“Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy,” he added.
Cameron also pointed to the demise of Alexei Navalny, Putin‘s prominent political opponent, as further proof of the extent of repression under Putin’s regime.
“The death of Alexei Navalny just weeks before the election was a tragic reminder of the severity of political repression in Russia today.”
He urged Russia to “immediately release all political prisoners,” including British-Russian dual-national Vladimir Kara-Murza. Kara-Murza, a 42-year-old opposition politician, was sentenced to 25 years in prison last April, the harshest punishment yet for his outspoken criticism of Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
He faced charges of “treason” after delivering a speech in the United States where he accused Russia of committing “war crimes” in Ukraine. Kara-Murza’s lawyers have attributed his severe health issues to two poisoning incidents allegedly orchestrated by Russia’s FSB security service in 2015 and 2017.
AFP
