MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

18.10.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Vittorio Agnoletto and Gabriele Zimmer
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on EU-Russia relations following the murder of Anna Politkovskaya

B6‑0535/2006

European Parliament resolution on EU-Russia relations after the murder of Anna Politkovskaya

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its earlier resolutions and declarations on the harassment, threatening and killing of journalists,

–  having regard to the EU Presidency's statement on the killing of Anna Politkovskaya,

–  having regard to the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which entered into force on 1 December 1997 and to the negotiations on a new agreement which are due to start this year,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed in the elevator of her apartment block on Saturday 7 October 2006, being shot in a manner consistent with a contract killing,

B.  whereas Anna Politkovskaya published many articles and several books on the human rights situation in Russia, and in particular in Chechnya and the Northern Caucasus,

C.  whereas Anna Politkovskaya was also a dedicated defender of human rights in Russia and gave effective support to the victims of human rights violations, in particular in Chechnya,

D.  whereas also the commercial director of the ITA-TASS press agency, Anatoly Voronin, was killed in his apartment on 16 October 2006,

E.  whereas journalists in Russia and in other parts of the world are increasingly at threat if they expose human rights violations,

F.  whereas freedom of the media, effective protection of independent journalists and full support for the work of human rights organisations are an essential element of the democratic development of a country,

1.  Pays tribute to Anna Politkovskaya as a courageous journalist and brave and dedicated defender of human rights who spoke out fearlessly against violence and injustice and campaigned tirelessly to see justice done;

2.  Expresses its deepest sympathy to Anna Politkovskaya's family, friends and colleagues in journalism and in the human rights movement;

3.  Strongly condemns the killing of Anna Politkovskaya and all other journalists and human rights defenders, who have been killed for freely exposing serious violations of human rights and unacceptable cases of injustice;

4.  Calls on the Russian authorities to conduct a full and thorough investigation into this shocking crime and to do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to justice;

5.  Calls on the Russian authorities to fight actively against the intimidation of independent journalists and human rights activists and to give full protection to independent journalists who expose serious cases of injustice in their country and to human rights organisations and their representatives that defend the victims of violations of human rights;

6.  Calls on the Russian authorities to guarantee the freedom of the media and to allow for the free operation of local and international human rights organisations on its territory;

7.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Russian President, Government and Parliament.