Today, European Parliament passed a resolution that condemns Russia’s action and selective jurisdiction over Aleksei Navalnõi, the harassment of human rights organizations, and adding them to the so called foreign agents list.

In course of preparation of the resolution Urmas Paet, member of European Parliament, proposed adding a clause that would condemn adding Russian human rights organizations, including Sakharov centre to foreign agents list. The proposal was adopted.

According to Urmas Paet the situation of human rights as well as the defenders of human rights has become worse in Russia. “The case of Navalnõi is a sequent example of selective justice. Whereas adding human rights organizations to foreign agents list continues, which makes their functioning nearly impossible. On account of this I proposed adding the issue of foreign agents into today’s resolution,” Paet said in today’s plenary session.

Paet added that straight after European Parliament had nominated Sakharov prize for human rights, the Sakharov Centre and 20 other organizations were put into foreign agents list. “EU must severely consider these developments in shaping its further Russian policy, and that in addition to aggression in adjoining states Russian authorities harass their own society,” he said.

In today’s speech Paet also noted that Estonian police officer Eston Kohver is still being illegally held in prison in Moscow. “He must be immediately released and sent back home to his family,” Paet said.

Additional information:
urmas.paet@ep.europa.eu
www.urmaspaet.eu

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