Debašu stenogramma

Pirmdiena, 2023. gada 17. aprīlis - Strasbūra

3. Priekšsēdētāja paziņojumi

  President. – Dear colleagues, it has now been 20 days since the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia. Let me reiterate our call for his safe release and underline the European Parliament’s commitment to seeing him free as quickly as possible. Journalists must be able to do their job without fearing for their lives or their freedom, and this is a line that should not have been crossed.

It is a pattern that we are witnessing again and again in Russia. Jailed opposition politician and Sakharov Prize laureate Alexei Navalny’s condition remains of deep concern, with journalists reporting it as critical. So from here, on behalf of the European Parliament, let me once again call for his immediate and unconditional release.

All this is happening while the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues. And here let me remind everyone that Russia has an obligation to ensure that prisoners of war are treated humanely and in all circumstances in accordance with the Geneva Convention. All perpetrators of war crimes will be brought to justice. This world will not forget the brutality this invasion has brought.

Dear colleagues, also in the past few days we have witnessed a deterioration of the situation in Sudan. Violent clashes have already caused countless deaths and undermined efforts to ensure a democratic transition in Sudan. The European Parliament strongly condemns these violent acts and calls on all parties to cease hostilities and ensure the safety of the entire population and the stability of the country.