Kremlin regrets Alexeyeva quit Presidential Human Rights Council

The Kremlin regrets the decision of Russia's oldest human rights defender, Moscow Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alexeyeva to quit the Presidential Human Rights Council.

"We regret her decision to leave the Council. She is a truly acclaimed person," a source in the Russian Presidential Administration told Interfax on Thursday.

"Lyudmila Alexeyeva remains a persona grata to us; we are prepared to continue interaction in human rights affairs outside of the Council," he said.

"To a large degree, her secession is linked with the Council rotation, which caused a miscellaneous public reaction. She was involved in that situation largely. Alas, that was no surprise," he said.