Press release

HMG expresses concern about sentencing in Bolotnaya case

HMG spokesperson calls on Russia to apply the rule of law and to protect the right to freedom of assembly and expression

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• Published: 24 February 2014

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

An HMG spokesperson said

The decision by a Moscow court to sentence seven defendants in the Bolotnaya case to between two and a half and four years in prison highlights the concerns felt by many about the restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression in Russia.

We call upon the government of Russia to respect the principles of freedom of assembly and expression, and ensure that the rule of law is applied in a non-discriminatory and proportionate way.

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Published 24 February 2014