MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russia, the arrest of protesters against corruption, incl. blogger Alexei Navalny

4.4.2017 - (2017/2646(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Helmut Scholz, Lola Sánchez Caldentey, Tania González Peñas, Estefanía Torres Martínez, Xabier Benito Ziluaga, Miguel Urbán Crespo on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

B8‑0248/2017

European Parliament resolution on Russia, the arrest of protesters against corruption, incl. blogger Alexei Navalny

(2017/2646(RSP))

The European Parliament,

 

–  having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas at least ten people have been killed and another 39 injured during a blast on the Russian city3s subway network in St. Petersburg;

B.whereas corruption is a worldwide problem;

C.whereas high-profile scandals associated with corruption, misuse of public funds or unethical behavior by politicians and leading business representatives in recent years has contributed to public discontent and mistrust of the political system all over Europe; whereas in many countries citizens started to protest and act against corruption and impunity;

 

D.whereas Russia has seen again a number of shocking corruption cases in recent years; whereas despite anti-corruption campaigns that include criminal cases against state officials such as the arrest of the Minister of Economic Development, Alexei Ulyukayev, in November 2016 the climate of impunity persists and corruption remains widespread; whereas Alexei Navalny had published in March an investigation into Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s alleged corruption and released a video revealing that Medvedev had amassed a collection of palaces, yachts, and vineyards during his time in office;.

E.whereas Russia has been living under Western sanctions contributing to a serious economic recession in Russia with enormous hardship for the Russian population; whereas the EU sanction policy has proven to be ineffective and counterproductive; whereas the news of Medvedev’s secret fortunes, at a time of nationwide suffering, resulted in massive discontent in the country;

 

F.whereas on March 26, 2017, tens of thousands of Russians, many of them young people, took part in anti-corruption demonstrations across 82 cities of Russia; whereas hundreds of protesters have been detained by police in cities across Russia, including about 1,000 in Moscow; whereas opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been detained and fined $350 for organizing banned protests and sentenced to 15 days in jail;

 

 

1.Expresses its condolences and solidarity with the families of those killed or injured in the attack in the Metro in St. Petersburg;

 

2.Expresses solidarity with the people in Russia who protest against corruption and social hardship;

 

3.Is concerned at the action of the Russian authorities to prevent the demonstrators from the exercise of basic freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly; reminds the Russian authorities that these are fundamental rights enshrined in the Russian Constitution; calls on the Russian authorities to abide fully by the international commitments it has made, including in the Council of Europe and the OSCE, to uphold these rights, and to release without delay the peaceful demonstrators that have been detained; takes note of the Duma opposition's parties' call for investigating the respective activities of the MWD by General Prosecutor of the RF;

 

4.Expresses deep concern at the dramatically worsened conditions for the civil society in Russia; strongly calls on Russian Government and Parliament to reverse the current trend and to engage in promoting the engagement of a critical civil society;

 

5.Reminds Russia of the obligation to fight corruption undertaken at the recent Anti-Corruption Summit in London and its National Anti-corruption plan approved by the presidential decree dated 1 April 2016 № 147;

6.Expresses deep concern at the cooperation of Russian institutions, in particular Banks with the Far Right Parties in Europe, such as Front National, which uses the discontent over inequality and corruption for promoting nationalism, xenophobia and its own interest in enriching themselves and their supporters while marginalizing the working people;

 

7.Is deeply preoccupied at the propaganda war between Russia and the EU and the US and the implications for the atmosphere in the respective societies; urgently calls on the governments and parliaments to stop this propaganda war and to create the conditions for renewed dialogue and cooperation;

 

8.Is deeply concerned by the fact that Russia and the EU are openly positioning themselves and acting as rivals and emphasizes its grave concern about the increasing political and military tensions between them; strongly rejects NATO presence in EU countries neighboring Russia and calls for their immediate withdrawal;

9.Calls on the HR/VP, the Commission and the EU Member States to refrain from any steps which could further increase and escalate the current crisis in the EU-Russia relations and to reopen channels and formats for the broad political dialogue with the Russian Federation ; insists on the reestablishment of the interparlamentary dialogue between the European Parliament and the Russian Duma on all items of interest of both sides, including the human and democratic rights situation:

10.Strongly criticises the double standards in the foreign policy of the European Union which defines Turkey which develops into an authoritarian State as a strategic partner, remains silent at war crimes committed by the US, Saudi Arabia and EU Member States in Iraq and Yemen, but sanctions others, including Russia: underlines that human rights are universal and indivisible and should be defended always and everywhere;

 

11.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.