Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Jeudi 14 juin 2018 - Strasbourg

4.1. La Russie, notamment le cas du prisonnier politique ukrainien Oleg Sentsov

  La Présidente. – L’ordre du jour appelle le débat sur cinq propositions de résolution concernant la Russie (2018/2754(RSP))

  Charles Tannock, author. – Madam President, today marks one month since Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian national and a filmmaker, and also a Russian political prisoner, began a hunger strike together with his fellow political prisoners Olexandr Kolchenko, Alexander Shumkov, and Volodymyr Balukh. These brave men are protesting against Russia’s persecution and arbitrary imprisonment of opposition voices, including especially those within annexed Crimea. They further demand the release of as many as 70 other Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars who have been arrested by Moscow on political grounds.

Today is also the kick-off of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The country will be in the global spotlight for the next month or so, but my Group today demands the immediate and unconditional release of Sentsov and his fellow prisoners, sentenced by a country that has no legitimate jurisdiction over them on political grounds.

I also urge European political leaders to refrain from attending the 2018 World Cup in condemnation of Russia’s continued disrespecting of the multilateral, rules-based world order, be it in Crimea, eastern Ukraine, the European Union or US political processes – not to mention the poisoning, within my country, the United Kingdom, of its own citizens.

I sincerely hope that the violations of human rights and international law that have become the norm for Moscow will not be lost from sight in the momentary cheering, comradeship and celebration that rightly accompanies every World Cup event.

  Rebecca Harms, Verfasserin. – Frau Präsidentin, sehr geehrte Kollegen! Liebe Fußballfans, liebe Fußballer auf der ganzen Welt! Wir wissen, dass Fußball die schönste Nebensache der Welt ist. Aber auf dieser Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Russland liegt ein großer und tiefer Schatten. Als Oleh Senzow, der Filmemacher von der ukrainischen Krim, vor einem Monat in den Hungerstreik getreten ist, hat er gesagt: „If I die before or during the World Cup, there will be a resonance in favour of the other political prisoners of Vladimir Putin.“

Unsere Entschließung ist ein Versuch, die Verzweiflung von Oleh Senzow ernstzunehmen und seine Forderungen zu unterstützen. Es sind Hunderte, die in russischen Gefängnissen, in Straf- und Arbeitslagern im Archipel Gulag von heute verbannt sind. Minderheiten in Russland, die Opposition werden verfolgt, unterdrückt und kriminalisiert. In den vier Jahren, seit die Olympischen Spiele in Sotschi zu Ende gegangen sind, hat Wladimir Putin nichts dazu beigetragen, die Welt friedlicher zu machen. Er hat sie unfriedlicher gemacht.

Es kann für Politiker aus dem Westen keine unbefangenen Besuche, keine unbefangenen Abende mit Wladimir Putin auf den Stadien-Tribünen in Russland geben. Das ist traurig, aber das ist so. Ich verstehe nicht, was die Aufregung über Treffen von deutschen Fußballern mit Präsident Erdoğan wert sein soll, wenn westliche Politiker sich von Wladimir Putins Ruhmesshow in den nächsten Tagen instrumentalisieren lassen. Der Weg der Politiker aus dem Westen sollte nach Sibirien führen, und sie sollten Oleh Senzow und andere in diesen brutalen Strafkolonien besuchen.

  Soraya Post, author. – Madam President, it is about time that we in the EU and the international community raised our voice and supported economically and morally the courage of Russian human rights defenders who work tirelessly for democracy and justice in the shadow of Putin’s propaganda machine. Also now, during the World Cup, we will speak out loudly and show that we clearly condemn the state propaganda and repressive laws that undermine Russian civil society.

Human rights organisations are labelled as spies if they receive funding from abroad, and one person was convicted under the so-called gay propaganda law for sharing an article from ‘The Guardian’ on Facebook. These are two examples of the serious situation of human rights in Russia right now.

We must support, including financially, the democratic work in Russia. It is only through free and democratic societies that stand firm on the fulfilment of human rights that we will build long-term security in Europe and in the world.

  Jaromír Štětina, Autor. – Paní předsedající, zvykli jsme si na svobodu stejně jako na fakt, že už neznáme pocit hladu. Po sedmi desítkách let v období míru jsme si zvykli na komfort nepřemýšlet o vlastní svobodě.

Tři dny jízdy autem od Štrasburku leží anektovaný a okupovaný poloostrov Krym, odkud pochází režisér ukrajinského původu Oleh Sencov. Krym je domovem Krymských Tatarů, lidí pokorných a statečných. Krymští Tataři jsou národ, který má úctu k hodnotám a ke svobodě. Dennodenně svobodu znovu ztrácejí, poté co Krym v roce 2014 okupovala ruská armáda.

Sencov dnes sedí za mřížemi na dalekém severu Ruska, v proslulém městě lágrů a věznic Salechard. Byl odsouzen za údajný terorismus na dvacet let do vězení poté, co protestoval proti ruské okupaci Krymu. Salechard už před válkou, za Josefa Vissarionoviče Stalina, byl jedním z nejslavnějších symbolů gulagu. Zůstal jím dodnes a je důkazem, že dnešní Kreml gulag znovu a znovu obnovuje. Pochybná sláva gulagu pokračovala po válce. V roce 1947 začal Stalin budovat železnici na Dálném severu mezi ústím Obu a ústím Jeniseje. Tento salechardský gulag měl číslo 501 a 503. Zahynuly zde tisíce lidí, trať nebyla nikdy dostavěna. I na přelomu 2. a 3. tisíciletí Salechard sloužil Kremlu. Stovky zmučených čečenských bojovníků za svobodu v prvních letech 21. století zmizely v salechardském gulagu. Dnes nikdo neví, kolik zde zmizelo Krymských Tatarů. Sencov zde drží hladovku za všechny, co se ničím neprovinili a přesto byli zbaveni svobody. Za ty, kteří byli porobeni, uneseni a mučeni.

Sencov a jeho spoluvězni potřebují naši pomoc. Potřebují naši pozornost. Potřebují, abychom uplatnili sankce vůči původci bezpráví, představitelům Ruské federace. Ti, co volají po zrušení sankcí proti Ruské federaci, prodávají moji i vaši svobodu, dámy a pánové. Prodávají svět, kde má místo spravedlnost a respekt k právu.

Pomozte osvobodit Sencova a ostatní! Zastavme gulag.

  Marietje Schaake, author. – Madam President, Oleg Sentsov, who spoke out against the illegal annexation of Crimea, was arrested and is serving a 20 year sentence in the gulag. Let’s not forget that this is the reality of Russia as people watch the World Cup. It is steps like these in which Putin’s regime reveals itself most clearly. Sentsov is one of 158 political prisoners, a number that has been rising sharply. Memorial, a Sakharov Prize—winning human rights organisation, has kept this list and now Oyub Titiev of Memorial in Chechnya was also arrested. This worrying trend of repression is underlined by the fact that Russia loses most cases before the European Court of Human Rights.

We call for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and human rights defenders and urge Russian authorities to respect people’s rights, including when they’re in detention. It means fair trials, an end to torture and confessions extracted under torture, access to lawyers and doctors, etcetera.

It is, first and foremost, in the interests of the Russian people that civil society organisations and media can do their work without intimidation and in freedom.

  Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein, w imieniu grupy PPE. – Pani Przewodnicząca! Wielu mnichów dokonało samospaleń w proteście przeciwko chińskiej okupacji w Tybecie, Piotr Szczęsny dokonał samospalenia w centrum Warszawy w proteście przeciwko niszczeniu demokracji przez aktualnie rządzącą ekipę w Polsce. Ludzie rozumiejący rozpaczliwą sytuację polityczną swojego kraju dokonują czasem czynów rozpaczliwych, żeby nas obudzić. Oleg Sencow głoduje już od miesiąca na zesłaniu w więzieniu w dalekiej Jakucji, a Putin, który go tam zesłał (i wielu innych więźniów politycznych, którzy ośmielili się krytykować reżim w Rosji, wojnę na Ukrainie i okupację Krymu), ten Putin zaprasza dziś na święto sportu. Niech sport łączy, ale póki Sencow i ci, za których on głoduje, nie są na wolności, apeluję: przedstawiciele rządów Unii, oglądajcie te mistrzostwa podczas szczytu razem z Donaldem Tuskiem w Brukseli, ale nie róbcie za tło do triumfalnych zdjęć Putina! Wolność dla Sencowa!

  Tibor Szanyi, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, it is a coincidence, or rather the force of destiny, that we are launching this important resolution on the very same day that Putin indulges in the international spotlight of the opening of the World Cup.

So let us remind him that spotlights cast dark shadows, and hidden in the deepest shadow of his ruthless regime we find dozens of innocent victims: Oleg Sentsov and many more; illegally detained, tortured, harassed and humiliated, Ukraine’s Tatars and other patriots whose only crime is to oppose the occupation of their homeland.

So with today’s resolution we aim to fulfil our moral and political duty as European Democrats by trying to save Mr Sentsov’s life and help regain his freedom as well as that of all the other names in the resolution held in Russian captivity, deprived of freedom and human dignity, and even of legal and medical assistance.

We must not cherish the illusion that we can halt Moscow’s illegal actions overnight, but today we can urge Putin to read this strong appeal by the European Parliament also as an opportunity, an undeserved chance to use the spotlight of the World Cup to improve his record by immediately releasing Mr Sentsov and all other political prisoners.

  Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Madam President, four years after the illegal occupation of Crimea, we raise our voice in the European Parliament in solidarity with political prisoners of Russia – civilians who are persecuted because of their loyalty and love for this state and their homeland. That includes Oleg Sentsov, but also dozens of others, not to mention the long-standing imprisonment of Bekir Dehermendzhi.

We raise our voices, because in this case the Geneva Convention on the persecution of civilian populations during war time has been brutally violated. We condemn, constantly, the illegal annexation of integral Ukrainian territories and we urge all politicians of the European Union to raise this issue with Russia while celebrating the World Cup.

(The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question under Rule 162(8))

PRZEWODNICTWO: BOGUSŁAW LIBERADZKI
Wiceprzewodniczący

  Doru-Claudian Frunzulică (S&D), question "carton bleu". – Je remercie mon collègue d’accepter ma question.

Il a mentionné qu’il était nécessaire de lancer des négociations avec la Russie. Ne pensez-vous pas que le moment est venu que la Haute représentante de l’Union européenne, Mme Mogherini, engage un processus sérieux avec la Russie pour établir un système de négociation entre l’Ukraine et la Russie en ce qui concerne les prisonniers politiques de Crimée détenus par la Russie?

  Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR), blue-card answer. – I did not say anything about us negotiating with Russia. I talked about raising a loud voice in defence of prisoners and I know that numerous European leaders have meetings with Vladimir Putin. I hope that this topic is also raised. Of course I share your view that Ms Mogherini should be very firm in putting this issue also in any encounters she may have with Russia.

  Petras Auštrevičius, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, Oleg Sentsov will turn 42 next month. An active participant of the Maidan in Ukraine, there was no way he could stay silent once the ‘little green men’ appeared in his native Crimea. What price does Putin make people like Sentsov pay for defending his homeland’s freedom? 20 years imprisonment four thousand kilometres away from Moscow to the far north, where the temperature falls to -50 degrees, where the snow still stands in June, in a prison called ‘Polar Bear’ – what a symbolic name for the place where bears run freely and people normally do not live.

Today, we all hope that Oleg will be strong enough to withstand the hunger strike. We all hope – and we demand – that his two children can see their father immediately, at home and in good health. Finally, I expect that those who will take part in World Cup matches in Moscow will not become a shameful part of Putin’s team.

  Heidi Hautala, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, Oleg Sentsov’s case illuminates the terrible lawlessness and repressive measures and climate of impunity that permeates the illegally-occupied Crimea today, and we should not spare our words calling for the release of Oleg Sentsov and the other 158 Russian political prisoners.

We cannot watch this idly, and we have to notice that today President Putin is celebrating the opening of the World Cup. And we have to remember what happened after the Sochi Olympics in 2014 – just some moments after these celebrations closing the Sochi Olympics, the illegal occupation of Crimea started.

We have to now pay all of our attention to the people who are suffering in the prisons for politically-motivated charges, and I would like to particularly mention Oyub Titiev, the director of ‘Memorial’ in Chechnya.

  Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski (NI). – Panie Przewodniczący! Jestem posłem niezależnym i wypowiadam się jako niezależny. Bardzo chcę serdecznie podziękować koleżankom i kolegom za bardzo wyraźny głos w obronie pana Sencowa i innych więźniów politycznych więzionych w Rosji oraz głos przeciwko systemowemu naruszaniu praw człowieka na Krymie. Bardzo dobrze, że ten głos jest taki wyraźny i jednoznaczny oraz że do tej pory nie usłyszeliśmy w tej debacie głosów hańbiących, głosów wsparcia i pomocy dla Putina, bo to nieraz miało miejsce w siedzibie Parlamentu Europejskiego. Chodzi o to, żebyśmy w czasie mundialu byli jednoznacznie i szczególnie konsekwentni. Nie możemy pozwolić Putinowi na posłużenie się, na zawładnięcie futbolem, a więc nasz głos powinien być o wiele bardziej konsekwentny i silniejszy niż dotąd, co oznacza także ponowienie naszego apelu i ponowne zajęcie stanowczej postawy na lipcowej sesji w Strasburgu.

  Pavel Svoboda (PPE). – Pane předsedající, dnes v Rusku začíná mistrovství světa ve fotbale a my budeme obdivovat novodobé Potěmkinovy vesnice v podobě naleštěných fotbalových stadionů. V jejich stínu jsou ale věznice s politickými vězni, a to jak vlastními, tak cizími státními příslušníky, jako je Oleg Sencov.

Rusko je autoritářský režim porušující mezinárodní právo. Je to režim, kterému základní práva nic neříkají. Tady nemluvím jen o protiprávním zatýkání, ale také o mučení. Seznam těch, kteří jsou jen kvůli snaze uplatnit své základní právo na svobodu projevu či shromažďování vystaveni zastrašování, fyzickým útokům nebo falešným obviněním, je dlouhý a jejich počet neustále roste. Stejně protiprávně a imperialisticky se Rusko chová při okupaci Krymu nebo části Gruzie. Je naší povinností zachránit Olega Sencova. Proto mu dnes se světem fotbalu řekneme „Oleg, you will never walk alone.”.

  Mark Demesmaeker (ECR). – Vandaag start in Moskou het Wereldkampioenschap voetbal met de openingswedstrijd tussen het Russische en het Saoedische elftal. Beiden geen voetbalreuzen en ook op de 'democratie-index' van The Economist bengelen de twee landen achteraan.

In de lijst met gaststeden voor het WK zie ik klinkende namen: Moskou, Sint-Petersburg, Sotsji, maar geen Labytnangi. En dat hoeft niet te verbazen, want dat is een kleine stad net boven de noordpoolcirkel. Daar voert filmmaker Oleg Sentsov vanuit zijn cel een eenzame strijd, een hongerstaking die nu al een maand duurt. Met dat laatste middel dat hem rest vraagt hij aandacht voor alle Oekraïense politieke gevangenen in het land. Hijzelf is veroordeeld voor zijn kritiek op de illegale annexatie van de Krim, een buitensporige propagandastunt van Poetin.

Collega's, binnen enkele weken verlaat het voetbalcircus Rusland en keert het land terug naar het duister. Ik roep alle Europese leiders op om tijdens dit WK de opsluiting van Oleg Sentsov en alle andere Oekraïense politieke gevangenen scherp te veroordelen. Vandaag ben ik alvast supporter van Oleg Sentsov!

  Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE). – Mr President, Oleg Sentsov opposed Russian annexation of Crimea. He was active in the Maidan revolution and helped deliver food to the Ukrainian servicemen blocked in their Crimean bases during the deadlock imposed by Russia.

Mr Sentsov is a man who exercised nothing more than his freedom of expression and his freedom of thought. That can send you all the way to jail in Russia. He was tried in a military court, and his trial had numerous grave procedural violations. He’s now serving his jail sentence in Labytnangi, that is to say 7 000 kilometres from here in the far north of Russia. For what? Well because he publicly opposed President Putin.

I urge the Russian Federation to do the only thing possible – to immediately release Mr Sentsov and to respect its international commitments. This should be done immediately.

Zgłoszenia z sali

  Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Pane předsedající, já bych se chtěl dnes zastat pana Olega Sencova, ale samozřejmě i dalších, kteří jsou nespravedlivě, neoprávněně vězněni a jsou potírána jejich lidská práva. Kdy jindy bychom měli zvednout náš hlas než právě dnes, kdy začíná v Rusku světový šampionát.

Myslím si, že bychom měli do záře reflektorů postavit právě ty další osoby, možná Rusku nepohodlné. Ty, kteří čelí svévolnému zatýkání, jejichž základní lidská práva jsou porušována, potíranou opozici. Myslím si, že právě dnes bychom skutečně měli zvednout náš hlas a do záře těch reflektorů postavit právě tyto osoby.

Zatímco pan Trump chce pozvat Rusko k jednacímu stolu, my bychom podle mého názoru neměli uhnout. Neměli uhnout a být důslední, protože Rusko rozumí pouze síle tlaku.

  Julie Ward (S&D). – Mr President, Crimea’s illegal annexation was a disaster for international law, and still this illegal occupation continues to undermine the pre-eminence of the rule of law and international relations.

The situation has concrete consequences on the lives of those who live in Crimea. Cultural heritage continues to be destroyed, and Crimea is set to lose invaluable historical sites. As a cultural activist, this perspective worries me. The destruction of cultural heritage is a form of ethno—genocide and a crime against humanity.

I am extremely worried about the more urgent situation of Oleg Sentsov. As the days go by, his hunger strike becomes more and more alarming. I am increasingly worried, as are many. The European Union should do everything in its power to call for his immediate and unconditional release and provide for humanitarian assistance to him and all the other political prisoners held in custody in Russia and the occupied territories.

Let my people go.

  José Inácio Faria (PPE). – Senhor Presidente, Senhor Comissário, caros Colegas, um dos pilares de sobrevivência dos regimes iliberais é a sua capacidade de controlar a oposição política e a sociedade civil. No caso do putinismo (peço desculpa ... vim a correr ... tentar manter o ritmo) esse controlo extravasa as fronteiras do seu país e testemunho vivo disso são os 64 presos políticos ucranianos que, nas cadeias russas e nos territórios ocupados da Crimeia, pagam caro o preço da sua coragem.

Entre eles está Oleg Sentsov, o cineasta ucraniano condenado ilegalmente a 20 anos de prisão na Rússia por alegadas atividades terroristas na Crimeia, cuja saúde começa preocupadamente a deteriorar-se depois de ter iniciado, há precisamente um mês, uma greve de fome para exigir a libertação imediata dos seus compatriotas.

Caros Colegas, no dia em que começa também o campeonato mundial de futebol na Rússia - evento que o senhor Putin tem usado como instrumento de propaganda para projetar o seu poder -, a União Europeia deve, uma vez mais, afirmar que os direitos humanos são uma componente essencial da sua política externa e exigir, por isso, a libertação imediata dos cidadãos ucranianos detidos ilegalmente na Rússia em condições indignas e desumanas.

(Koniec zgłoszeń z sali)

  Miguel Arias Cañete, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia has entailed a marked deterioration of the human rights situation on the peninsula and the jailing of people whose sole crime is to reject the illegal annexation. Oleg Sentsov is one of them.

Shortly after the illegal annexation, Oleg Sentsov was arrested in Crimea. After a trial which lacked all guarantees of fairness, and in which he was judged as a Russian citizen and denied the consular assistance of the Ukranian authorities despite clearly be in Ukrainian, Mr Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison, accused of plotting terrorist acts for which the investigators could not find any evidence.

As many Members have highlighted, he has been serving this prison sentence in remote regions of the Russian Federation, currently in Russia’s northernmost prison on the Yamal peninsula, often in solitary confinement. Exactly one month ago, he started a hunger strike to protest at the incarceration of all his fellow Ukranian political prisoners in Russia and demand their release.

Oleg Sentsov’s case is no longer just a judicial or political one. It is now a matter of human compassion. His health is at risk of rapid deterioration. He should be immediately and unconditionally released on humanitarian grounds.

The European Union has closely followed the situation of Mr Sentsov and fellow Ukranian prisoners. It has regularly urged Russia to release all of them, both those who are in Russia and those on the Crimean peninsula. Diplomats from the European Union delegation and Member States’ embassies in Moscow have been present at court hearings related to these cases and are in contact with the lawyers.

In addition to the case of Mr Sentsov, we have often raised other cases – such as those of Olexandr Kolchenko, Stanislas Klykh and Mykola Karpyuk – in bilateral meetings with Russian representatives as well as in public statements, including in international forums such as the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation of Europe.

We are also following with concern the case of Ukranian journalist Roman Sushchenko who was sentenced on 4 June in Moscow to 12 years in prison for alleged acts of espionage in what appears to be another attack on the freedom of the press.

Our statement on 25 May, focusing on Oleg Sentsov, Volodymyr Balukh, Server Mustafayev and Edem Smailov, reiterated that the European Union expects international human rights standards to be upheld on the Crimean peninsula and that all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, in Russia and on the Crimean peninsula, should be released without delay.

I would also like to recall President Tusk’s call to the G7 leaders last week to show their support for and solidarity with Oleg Sentsov. This is a message that we will continue to repeat to the Russian authorities.

Lastly, let me restate that the European Union remains committed to implementing in full its policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol and we fully support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

  Przewodniczący. – Panie Komisarzu! Jak Pan widzi, jest chyba wysoki poziom zgodności poglądów Parlamentu i Komisji.

Zamykam debatę.

Głosowanie odbędzie się po zakończeniu debat o godz. 12.00.