Amnesty International no longer considers jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny a “prisoner of conscience” due to past comments he made that qualify as advocacy of hatred, the group said. “Amnesty International took an internal decision to stop referring to … Navalny as a prisoner of conscience in relation to comments he made in the past,” the group said in a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday. “Some of these comments, which Navalny has not publicly denounced, reach the threshold of advocacy of hatred, and this is at odds with Amnesty’s definition of a prisoner of conscience,” it added. Source Reuters
The recent murders of five women in Sweden have sparked debate and calls for policy change in the country often lauded for its gender equality. Two of the murders took place in broad daylight, while one was killed at home in the same room as her young baby. Most of the victims have not been named in Swedish media, which is usually due to families not giving consent. Source The Local
Pakistan’s Parliament is expected to consider a resolution on Tuesday about whether the French envoy should be expelled over the publication of controversial cartoons depicting Islam’s Prophet, testing whether the government gives in to threats from radical Islamists. Source France24
Greece recognises Sputnik V as ‘equivalent’ to European vaccines. Greece will recognise Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in its vaccination certificate, making it easier for Russian tourists to travel and spend their summer holidays in Greece. Source Euractiv