Anna Victoria Politkovskaya called on the European Parliament to create an emergency humanitarian visa mechanism

At the meeting of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights, Anna Victoria Politkovskaya thanked European authorities for their attempts to help victims of political persecution in Russia and other countries.

She stated that such a mechanism should be available to people who cannot safely remain in Russia, including journalists, student activists, representatives of the LGBTQ community, and those who face violence and repression. Politkovskaya said: “These people should not pay with their lives for their vulnerability”.

She then told the story of her friend Sasha, who grew up in the North Caucasus and was a person with a queer identity. According to her, his family and loved ones did not accept his orientation, and at 16 he was subjected to sexualized violence.

Sasha wanted to leave Russia, but he did not have the necessary funds, documents, or opportunities. At 19, he died by suicide, and Politkovskaya said that one of Europe’s main tasks could be saving the lives of people like him.

Sources

• Novaya Gazeta Europe