Resolution by the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly on the Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia, notably Oleg Sentsov

(2018/C 343/05)

THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,

— having regard to the European Parliament's previous resolutions on Russia, in particular its resolution of 14 June 2018 on Russia, notably the case of Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov, and of 16 March 2017 on the Ukrainian prisoners in Russia and the situation in Crimea,

— having regard to the statement of 25 May 2018 by the spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on the cases of several detainees in or from the illegally annexed territories of Crimea and Sevastopol,

— having regard to the exchange of views on Russia in the Foreign Affairs Council of 16 April 2018,

— having regard to Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to both of which the Russian Federation is a party and which state that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

— having regard to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,

A. whereas there are more than 70 political prisoners in Russia and in occupied Crimea;

B. whereas the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who opposed the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, was arrested in May 2014 in relation to alleged activities conducted in Crimea; whereas he was treated as a Russian citizen despite holding Ukrainian citizenship;

C. whereas human rights defenders and civil society actors, particularly Crimean Tatars, have faced threats, intimidation and arrests;

D. whereas many of the prisoners and detainees have faced harsh and inhumane conditions in prisons, posing physical and psychological risks to their health; whereas there are prisoners who require urgent medical attention and treatment;

1. Demands that the Russian authorities release Oleg Sentsov immediately and unconditionally, as well as all other illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in Russia and on the Crimean Peninsula; recalls that that there are currently a total of more than 70 (1) Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and occupied Crimea;

2. Deplores the fact that another convict in the case, Oleksandr Kolchenko, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison;

3. Notes that another illegally detained Ukrainian citizen, Volodymyr Balukh, has been on hunger strike since 19 March;

4. Expresses its deep concern that many of the Ukrainian political prisoners like Mykola Karpiyuk, Volodymyr Prisich, Oleksiy Chyrniy and Yevhen Panov have been seriously tortured;

5. Underlines the fact that the treatment of all prisoners must meet international standards and that all detainees should have access to legal counsel, their families, their diplomatic representatives and medical treatment;

6. Stresses that the Russian authorities, in their de facto capacity as an occupying power exercising effective control over Crimea, are fully responsible for the protection of Crimean citizens from arbitrary judicial or administrative measures, and that in the same capacity they are bound by international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of human rights on the peninsula;

7. Condemns violations of international law by Russia in occupied Crimea, including enforcement of Russian legislation, heavy militarisation of the Crimean Peninsula, which threatens regional security, and massive and systematic human rights violations in Crimea, primarily against ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars;

8. Urges Russia to ensure unconditional and unimpeded access of international human rights observers and monitoring missions; calls on international organisations, such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the human rights situation in Crimea more closely and to take appropriate measures;

9. Calls on the Council and EU Member States to remain firm and united in their commitment to the agreed sanctions against Russia and to prolong them and consider targeted measures against the individuals responsible for the detention and trial of political prisoners;

10. Underlines the importance of observation by the Delegation of the European Union to Russia and Embassies of EU Member States of trials of human rights defenders;

11. Reiterates its call on the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EEAS to ensure that all cases of persons prosecuted for political reasons are raised in EU-Russia human rights consultations, when resumed, and that Russia's representatives in these consultations are formally requested to respond in each case and to report back to Parliament on their exchanges with the Russian authorities;

12. Calls on the EU to make a statement condemning human rights violations in Russia and the attempt to hide them under the cover of the FIFA World Cup;

13. Instructs its Chairs 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 and of the Eastern Partnership, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.

(1) The non-exhaustive list includes: Teimur Abdullaiev, Uzeir Abdullaiev, Taliat Abdurakhmanov, Rustem Abiltarov, Zevri Abseitov, Muslim Aliiev, Refat Alimov, Kiazim Ametov, Ernes Ametov, Ali Asanov, Marlen Asanov, Volodymyr Balukh, Ali Bariev, Enver Bekirov, Memet Belialov, Oleksii Bessarabov, Rustem Vaitov, Resul Velilyaev, Valentyn Vygovskii, Pavlo Hryb, Mykola Dadeu, Konstatin Davydenko, Bekir Dehermendzhi, Mustafa Dehermendzhi, Emil Dzhemadenov, Arsen Dzhepparov, Dmitrii Dolgopolov, Volodymyr Dudka, Andriy Zakhtei, Ruslan Zeitullaiev, Server Zekiriaiev, Timur Ibragimov, Rustem Ismailov, Yevgenii Karakashev, Mykola Karpiuk, Stanislav Klykh, Andriy Kolomiiets, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksandr Kostenko, Emir-Usein Kuku, Hennadii Limeshko, Serhii Litvinov, Enver Mamutov, Nariman Memedeminov, Remzi Memetov, Emil Minasov, Igor Movenko, Seiran Muradosilov, Seiran Mustafaiev, Server Mustafaiev, Yevhen Panov, Nuri Primov, Volodymyr Prisich, Ismail Ramazanov, Fevzi Sagandzhi, Ferat Saifullaiev, Aider Saledinov, Seiran Saliiev, Enver Seitosmanov, Oleg Sentsov, Oleksii Sizonovich, Vadym Siruk, Edem Smailov, Oleksandr Steshenko, Oleksii Stohniy, Renat Suleimanov, Anna Sukhonosova, Roman Sushchenko, Roman Temovsky, Ruslan Ametov, Asan Chapukh, Oleksii Chimii, Hlib Shablii, Mykola Shiptur, Dmytro Shtyblikov, Oleksandr Shumkov, Viktor Shur.