Human Rights Watch Mourns Death of Sergei Kovalev

Sergei Kovalev, a prominent Soviet dissident and Russia’s first human rights ombudsman, died on August 9, 2021, at the age of 91. A talented biophysicist, Kovalev paid a high price for his strong stand on human rights – seven years in a prison camp and three years of forced internal exile – on charges of disseminating anti-Soviet propaganda. Shortly after the Soviet Union collapsed, Kovalev became one of the country’s leading pro-democracy politicians. He co-authored the chapter of Russia’s Constitution that is devoted to human rights and fundamental freedoms. He condemned Russia’s war in Chechnya…

© Human Rights Watch - lundi 9 août 2021