Moscow, 2 September 2021 (TDI): Russian Government was pressured by UN rights experts to release Mr. Simonov.UN rights expert, Mary Lawlor. They asked the Russian government to reverse the sentence of Semyon Simonov. On July 20th Mr. Simonov, A human Right Defender & the Head of the Southern Human Rights Center in Sochi was criminally accused by the Russian authorities for failing to roll as a “Foreign Agent”.
Foreign Agent law came into effect in 2012 in Russia. The law affects any Russian group that receives foreign funds and is involved in any act that Russian Authorities consider Political. Mr. Simonov works by raising awareness for human rights and delivers legal assistance in the circumstance of human rights violations.
Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights defenders urged the Russian Government to release Mr. Semyon Simonov from his travel ban and Criminal Charges. Ms. Lawlor further stated that in Russia, concepts like traitor & spy are attached with “foreign agents”. She believed that it’s a great hurdle for human rights defenders and journalists as the Foreign Agents law is far too often used to punish them.
UN Rights expert advocated the immediate release of Mr. Simonov. The Human rights Defender conviction is a very menacing indication for Russian Civil society, Ms. Lawlor added.
