Brussels, 19/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Echoing the words of High Representative Catherine Ashton (see EUROPE 10891), several European politicians have expressed their concern at the sentence against the opponent Alexey Navalny, handed down on 18 July.
Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, said that she was “extremely concerned at the verdict pronounced against Alexey Navalny”. She said that this “judgment raises serious questions about the state of the rule of law in Russia”. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who is “concerned but not surprised” by the verdict, says that “criticism strengthens society, it does not harm it”. His Swedish counterpart, Carl Bildt, said that it could be debatable whether the sentence against Navalny raises questions about the Russian legal system. “Maybe it provides answers instead”, he continued. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also said that he was “concerned by the verdict, by selective justice in Russia and by the lack of compliance with international human rights obligations”.
MEPs call on EU to act
The permanent rapporteur of the European Parliament on Russia, Libor Roucek (S&D, Czech Republic), called on the EU to “reinforce its policy of critical engagement, working together with all parties concerned, to improve the human rights situation and state of political pluralism and democracy in Russia”. In the view of the leader of the ADLE Group, Guy Verhofstadt, this verdict once again “proves” that the Russian government “is not a government with which the EU should have a strategic partnership”. He called on the EU to hold an extraordinary EU-Russia summit on human rights and democracy. He also wants Europol, the European banking authority and other competent European institutions to investigate the cases of corruption flagged up in Russia which have close links to the European Union.
On 19 July, the Russian justice system placed Navalny on probation until his appeal is examined. The spokesperson to the high representative welcomed this, stressing that the EU will continue to follow the situation closely. (CG with SP/transl.fl)