The European Parliament urged the Chechen and Russian authorities to improve the situation of human rights defenders in Chechnya on Thursday 14 February.
The joint resolution adopted by the Greens/EFA, EPP, S&D, ALDE and ECR groups calls for an end to the harassment and persecution of their citizens and an end to the climate of impunity for perpetrators of acts of violence against human rights defenders and their families.
In particular, MEPs call for the immediate release of the director of the office of the Memorial Human Rights Centre, Oyub Titiev, whose trial is scheduled for mid-February (see EUROPE 11957).
More generally, Parliament calls on Russia to protect the fundamental rights of all its citizens and to repeal laws that restrict the ability of NGOs to work independently and effectively, such as the law on 'foreign agents' and the law on 'unwanted organisations'.
Recalling its support for an EU 'Magnitsky law’ “which must sanction perpetrators of serious human rights violations”, Parliament calls on the Council to continue its work on this issue without delay and to impose targeted sanctions against the perpetrators of such violations in Chechnya. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)