UN Rapporteurs Urge Russia To Allow For International Probe Into Navalny's Case

US Special Rapporteurs, Agnes Callamard and Irene Khan, have called on Russia to request or green-light an international investigation of the alleged poisoning of opposition figure Alexey Navalny

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st March, 2021) US Special Rapporteurs, Agnes Callamard and Irene Khan, have called on Russia to request or green-light an international investigation of the alleged poisoning of opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

Callamard and Khan sent the results of their four-month probe into the case to Moscow back in December but had no reply. Because of a 60-day confidentiality clause, the letter was made public only today.

"We believe that an international investigation should be carried out as a matter of urgency in order to establish the facts and clarify all the circumstances concerning Mr. Navalny's poisoning. This investigation is especially critical now that Mr. Navalny is being detained by the Russian Government and is subject to its control. We call on the Russian Government to request or to allow an investigation of this nature," the rapporteurs said.

According to the rapporteurs, Navalny was being monitored by the Russian authorities at the time when he fell ill, so it is unlikely that any third party could use a chemical substance against him without Moscow knowing. Additionally, they said, the availability of Novichok and the expertise required to handle it, including the variant allegedly found in Navalny's samples, could only be possible "within and amongst State actors.

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"The Government cannot escape its obligations under international human rights law by denying responsibility for the act itself. Even in the unlikely event that a third party could somehow have committed this act, Russia would have failed in its obligation to protect the life of Mr. Navalny against such non-State actors," the statement read.

Calling the Russian government's response to Navalny's situation "inadequate," the rapporteurs recalled the governments' "duty to act with exemplary diligence" in situations "potentially engaging the responsibility of the State."

"Simply denying responsibility, while failing to engage in an effective investigation, may constitute in itself a violation of the right to life," the rapporteurs said.

Navalny and some Western countries suggest that Russian special services' members poisoned him with a nerve agent. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in December that a preliminary investigation was opened, but an actual investigation could not be launched amid the lack of substantiating materials and the West ignored Russia's requests for aid on the case.