The announcement was made yesterday by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which accused those named of “discrediting the constitutional order and foreign policy” of Russia and of activities “aimed at the unlawful confiscation of sovereign Russian state assets,” News.Az reports, citing UN Watch.
***
Those blacklisted along with Neuer include Canadian cabinet ministers, senators, MPs, the defence chief and Canada’s former ambassador to Russia, William Westdal.
Neuer, a Canadian citizen and international human rights advocate, led the campaign to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, and works closely with Russian dissidents to fight abuses by the Putin regime.
UN Watch, an independent non-governmental human rights organization based in Switzerland, which leads the 25-NGO coalition that holds the annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, has campaigned for the freedom of imprisoned Russian dissidents, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, hosted democracy leaders such as Garry Kasparov and family members of Alexei Navalny, and amplified the voices of Ukrainian victims of Russian aggression. (Click here to see UN Watch’s action for human rights in Russia.)
Over two decades, Neuer has often taken the floor at the United Nations to challenge Russia’s human rights record.
Neuer was recently honored in Canada with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, for making an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.
