[UN Special Rapporteur's letter to Russian Govt. regarding Sergey Nikiforov's case]

...Concern is expressed at the alleged unwarranted charges and sentencing of Mr. Nikiforov, which appear to be directly related to his activities in defence of human rights, including land and environmental rights. We express further concern at the allegations that the sentencing of Mr. Nikiforov is related to his and the Ivanovkoye village’s public opposition and legitimate voicing of concern about the environmental and human rights impacts of the mining project of Petropavlovsk mining company...We also express our concern about the alleged irregularities of Mr. Nikiforov’s trial...Please provide information on the legal grounds for the charges and the sentencing of Mr. Sergey Nikiforov...Has the affected population living in Evenki ancestral territories been provided with adequate information about the project, including its impact on their environment and human rights?...Please provide information on the measures put in place to ensure that the human rights defenders, including environmental activists, in the Russian Federation are able to carry out their legitimate work in a safe and enabling environment, without fear of threats or acts of intimidation and persecution of any sort...Please indicate if the Government has provided any guidance to business enterprises in the Russian Federation on their expected human rights due diligence process...[W]e urge that all necessary interim measures be taken to halt the alleged violations and prevent their re-occurrence and in the event that the investigations support or suggest the allegations to be correct, to ensure the accountability of any person(s) responsible for the alleged violations.