We welcome any genuine efforts aimed at securing the release of Russian political prisoners.

It recently emerged that the U.S. administration is considering easing sanctions on Russia in exchange for the release of people persecuted for political reasons. It remains unclear whether this idea will lead to actual negotiations, or what the outcome of such negotiations might be. But if such a window of opportunity opens, it should be used to secure the release of as many people as possible.

Our position is that such negotiations should not be limited to lists of individual names. Hundreds of people in Russia are in prison for speaking out against the war, taking part in peaceful protests, supporting the opposition, donating to organizations designated as “extremist” by the authorities, and engaging in other forms of peaceful political activity. Many politically motivated cases never become public, which is why we consider it simply impossible to compile a complete list of political prisoners in Russia.

Moreover, releasing a number of political prisoners now would not prevent the Russian authorities from bringing new cases under the very same laws the next day. Such a deal would therefore fail to address the underlying problem.

We therefore propose a different approach: sanctions relief should be tied not only to the release of individual prisoners, but also to the repeal of repressive provisions in Russian law and the termination of entire categories of politically motivated criminal cases.

Decriminalizing Articles 207.3 and 280.3 of the Russian Criminal Code, commonly known as the laws on “military fakes” and “discrediting the army,” would mean releasing those convicted under these provisions, terminating ongoing proceedings, and preventing any new cases from being brought on these grounds.The same principle should apply to politically motivated prosecutions under laws on “extremism,” “financing extremism,” “justifying terrorism,” and similar provisions when peaceful political activity, donations, speech, and beliefs are treated as criminal offenses.

Sanctions are one of the few real forms of leverage that democratic countries have over the Kremlin. If sanctions are to be eased, it is important that every such decision be accompanied by concrete, verifiable, and lasting changes inside Russia. The opportunity to secure these changes must not be missed, just as sanctions relief must not be traded for symbolic concessions.

We will work to ensure that any such negotiations bring the greatest possible benefit to Russian civil society.