441-00028 (Foreign affairs)

The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the state of democracy and political pluralism in Russia and has repeatedly condemned its increasingly brazen and reckless behaviour. The attack on Alexey Navalny, his treatment upon his return to Russia, and the violence against, and mass detention of, peaceful protestors and media during his trial is unacceptable, which Canada has made clear through both words and actions. In addition to a statement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs on September 2, 2020, Canada has also joined statements by the G7 and North Atlantic Council condemning the actions.

In the January 26, 2021 G7 Foreign Ministers’ Joint statement, Canada, along with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union, condemned the politically motivated arrest and detention of Mr. Navalny. This statement also reiterated concerns vis-à-vis the detention of thousands of peaceful protesters and journalists, and called upon Russia to adhere to its national and international obligations, and release those detained arbitrarily for exercising their right of peaceful assembly.

On August 20, 2021, on the one-year anniversary of the poisoning of Mr. Navalny, Canada joined the United States and the United Kingdom to reaffirm its condemnation of the assassination attempt of Mr. Navalny through the use of a nerve-agent of the “Novichok” group, a substance developed by Russia. In addition, Canada called on Russia to comply fully with the Chemical Weapons Convention, including its obligations to declare and dismantle its chemical weapons program.

Russia’s ongoing treatment of Mr. Navalny continues to demonstrate its contempt for the rule of law and its willingness to violate the human rights of its people. Russia’s suppression of peaceful protests and its detention of more than 10,000 protestors, highlight a continuing pattern of targeting opposition voices and those it deems threatening.

Canada will continue to work in a coordinated manner with allies and partners to prepare and implement effective and unified measures to condemn the worrying human rights trends in Russia.

On March 21, 2021, Canada imposed sanctions on nine senior Russian administration officials in response to human rights violations committed in that country. The individuals targeted hold senior roles in the security apparatus and administrative structures involved in the attempted murder, arbitrary arrest, prosecution and sentencing of Mr. Navalny, as well as the repressive and sometimes violent crackdown on the protests that followed. This was the first time sanctions were imposed on Russian citizens through the Special Economic Measures Act for human rights abuses committed in Russia, rather than for actions related to the illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea.

In line with measures previously taken by the European Union and the United States, this action imposed consequences on Russia for its ongoing disregard for human rights and the rule of law, and communicated a clear message to Russia that Canada will not accept ongoing gross and systematic human rights violations continuing to take place at the hands of the State with impunity.

With regard to those fleeing persecution, Canada has a robust asylum system and like all foreign nationals who are in Canada, Russian nationals have access to this system. Individuals who are eligible to make a claim can be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), an independent, administrative tribunal. Board decisions are made by an independent decision-maker in accordance with the law, based on the merits of the specific facts presented in an individual case. To provide fair and efficient adjudicative justice, the IRB regularly monitors and updates country conditions in refugee-producing countries or regions.

In addition to the in-Canada asylum system, Canada offers protection to persecuted people outside of Canada who have fled their country of origin through the Refugee Resettlement Program. Refugees having fled persecution in Russia and lacking options to permanently settle elsewhere may be eligible for resettlement to Canada through the privately sponsored or the government assisted refugee programs. Refugees who face immediate risks may be resettled under Canada’s Urgent Protection Program, through a referral by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This program provides expedited resettlement to refugees whose life, liberty, or safety is immediately threatened.

In July 2021, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the launch of a dedicated refugee stream to provide a safe haven for human rights defenders at risk who are fleeing persecution in their home country. Canada will become one of the first countries to offer a dedicated, permanent pathway for human rights defenders, and will resettle up to 250 human rights defenders per year, including their family members, through the Government-Assisted Refugees Program. The Government of Canada will work with Front Line Defenders and ProtectDefenders.eu, alongside other Canadian and international partners, including the United Nations Refugee Agency, to identify human rights defenders who face security risks and are in need of resettlement, and to find solutions for human rights defenders in need of protection. Russian human rights defenders having fled persecution may be eligible for resettlement under this new stream.

Canada consistently advocates on the need for Russia to end political violence and repression and respect media freedom both bilaterally and in multilateral forums. This includes the trend of attacking opposition figures like Mr. Navalny and other forms of internal repression, such as new legislation, that shrinks the already small space for civil society. Canada has consistently urged Russia to release all those arbitrarily detained and fulfil its international obligations. For example, during the 2018 Universal Periodic Review of Russia’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council, Canada highlighted the need for Russia to “prevent and investigate beatings, threats and trials based on dubious charges of human rights defenders, journalists, political actors and civil society.” Canada will continue to work with UN organizations, the G7, the Organization for Security and Co-operation, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and other relevant multilateral organizations to coordinate responses to the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia, and on Mr. Navalny’s case in particular.

Most recently in December 2021, Canada issued a joint statement with Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States on Russian courts’ decision to forcibly close International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Centre. For more than three decades, Memorial has fulfilled a unique role in documenting historical crimes and recovering for posterity the memory of the tens of millions of victims of political repression in the country. Memorial has also advocated tirelessly for the protection of human rights in Russia, exposing appalling abuses, including in the North Caucasus, and maintaining a growing list of individuals it considers political prisoners. The claim by Russian authorities that the Memorial Human Rights Centre’s principled and peaceful work ‘justifies extremism and terrorism’ cannot be accepted. Memorial’s work has never been more needed.

Canada, alongside its international partners, calls on Russia to uphold the international human rights obligations and commitments to which it has agreed, and we continue to condemn the Russian legislation on ‘foreign agents,’ which further silences independent voices and shrinks the space for civil society. The people of Russia, like people everywhere, have the right to freedom of expression and association, including in defense of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.