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Resolution on Russia, in particular the case of Alexei Navalny

2015/2503(RSP)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Russia, in particular the case of Alexei Navalny.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA, EFDD groups.

Alexei Navalny, a prominent lawyer, anti-corruption campaigner and social activist, won 27% of the vote in the September 2013 Moscow mayoral elections, thus confirming himself as one of the most prominent faces of the Russian opposition to the Kremlin.

Parliament expressed its deepest concern at the fact that, in Russia, the law is being used as a political instrument. It underlined that the conviction of the prominent lawyer, anti-corruption campaigner and social activist Alexei Navalny, imposing a 3.5-year suspended sentence on him and a 3.5-year prison sentence on his brother, Oleg Navalny, was based on unsubstantiated charges. It strongly deplored that the prosecution seems to be politically motivated.

Stressing that Russia, as a member of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, should meet the obligations to which it has signed up, the resolution called on the Russian judicial and law-enforcement authorities to carry out their duties in an impartial and independent manner, free of political interference and to ensure that the judicial proceedings in the Navalny cases, and all the other investigations and trials against opposition activists, meet the internationally accepted standards.

The resolution called on the Presidents of the Council and the Commission, and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to:

  • continue to follow such cases closely, to raise these issues in different formats and meetings with Russia, and to report back to Parliament on the exchanges with the Russian authorities;
  • develop a unified policy towards Russia that commits the 28 EU Member States and EU institutions to a strong common message on the role of human rights in the EU-Russia relationship and the need to end the crackdown on freedom of expression, assembly and association in Russia;
  • come up, as a matter of urgency, with a comprehensive strategy towards Russia, aimed at maintaining the territorial integrity and sovereignty of European states, and supporting, at the same time, the strengthening of democratic principles, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Russia.

Lastly, the Commission and the EEAS, with regard to the ongoing programming phase of the EU financial instruments, to increase its financial assistance to Russian civil society through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the civil society organisations and local authorities funds.