Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.
In Moscow, activists have restored a memorial plaque for the 20th time on a building associated with Anna Politkovskaya. The original plaque, which had hung for nearly 20 years on the wall of the journalist's home on Lesnaya Street, was first destroyed on January 18. Since then, activists have repeatedly installed temporary plaques, which were quickly destroyed—usually within less than 24 hours.
Furthermore, a plaque commemorating the destruction of the Politkovskaya plaque has been repeatedly installed near the same building. It reads: "Here in 2026, neo-Nazis destroyed the memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya."
Anna Politkovskaya, a columnist for Novaya Gazeta, was killed on October 7, 2006, near her home. She is known for her criticism of the Russian government and her coverage of human rights violations in Chechnya. Despite the conviction of those who carried out her murder, those who ordered the crime have still not been found.