In the run-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Rebecca launched a joint campaign between the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament and the MEMORIAL Human Rights Centre Russia, addressing FIFA.
As part of the campaign, FIFA and its member organisations were asked to address the human rights situation in Russia, fight for the release of political prisoners from Russian prisons and finally take responsibility for the protection of human rights - also when selecting future host countries.
In cooperation with the MEMORIAL Human Rights Centre Russia, we have produced a map of Russia as part of the campaign, which draws attention to the situation of political prisoners and takes the victims of state repression out of their anonymity. More than 150 political prisoners are still behind bars in prisons all over Russia. Among them are still the well-known human rights defender Oyub Titiev, the Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and more than 60 Ukrainians, including Crimean Tatars, who are illegally imprisoned for unfounded and politically motivated accusations.
This list of political prisoners, which unfortunately remains up-to-date, can be found here.
Current information on new political prisoners in Russia is documented on the website of the MEMORIAL Human Rights Centre Russia: https://memohrc.org/en
