Liechtenstein Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport and President of the Committee of Ministers, Dominique Hasler made the following statement:

"Saddened and deeply disturbed by the reported death of Alexei Navalnyy today, I, in my capacity as President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, would like to express my deepest sympathy to his wife, family and friends for the cruel situation they find themselves in, caused by the Russian authorities.

Last December, the Committee of Ministers once again strongly condemned the fact that Mr Alexei Navalnyy was still in prison despite the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and urged the Russian authorities to ensure his immediate release, asking them also to ensure that he could freely consult independent doctors and that his lawyers could visit him without hindrance. Despite this appeal and in breach of their international obligations, the Russian authorities have continued to detain Mr Navalnyy. Responsibility for his death - whatever the circumstances - lies with them, as it does for so many similar recent cases.

Today is a sad day for the defenders of freedom, democracy and human rights in Europe; values to which the Russian Federation has turned its back ever more blatantly since the launching of its war of aggression against Ukraine."