In the European Parliament, the Socialists and Democrats Group has strongly condemned the arrest of Alexei Navalny, one of Russia’s most influential dissidents and anti-corruption activists. Navalny was arrested on his return to Moscow after having spent five months in Germany recovering from a near-deadly poisoning last August. The S&D Group calls for a strong EU…
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has issued the following statement following the arrest of Alexei Navalny at Moscow Airport yesterday:- “I condemn the detention of Alexei Navalny yesterday by the Russian authorities, upon his return to Russia. The Russian authorities must immediately release him and ensure his safety.” “Detention of…
The EPP Group has urged the Foreign Affairs Ministers of EU Member States to agree on sanctions against all persons involved in the poisoning of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. “Russia clearly failed in cooperating to start an international investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. Therefore we urge the EU Member States to…
EU Ministers are expected to consider new names to add to the list of sanctions on Belarus, and a new push to include disputed leader Alexander Lukashenko himself, who met with 11 jailed opposition activists on Saturday. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled leader of the anti-regime protests, said the prison visit came as a “result of…
MEPs have called for new presidential elections in Belarus and urge the EU to sanction President Lukashenko and the perpetrators behind Alexei Navalny’s poisoning. The situation in BelarusIn a resolution adopted by 574 votes in favour, 37 against with 82 abstentions today (17 September), the European Parliament rejects the official results of the “so-called presidential…
In a plenary debate on Wednesday, the Socialists and Democrats strongly condemned the assassination attempt on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The S&D Group will support a resolution on Thursday calling for strong EU reaction and support for an international investigation into the attack. S&D vice-president responsible for foreign affairs and negotiator of the resolution on…
“Don’t leave Belarus alone!” That was the message of a conference organised by New Europeans with human rights campaigners from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia to mark International Democracy Day, 15 September, writes Roger Casale. In a moving address from her home outside Minsk, Olga Zubrilova, explained how she had become involved in the democratic movement…
The following is a statement issued by the North Atlantic Council on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. “Allies condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition figure, with the use of a nerve agent from the banned Novichok group.Any use of chemical weapons, under any circumstances, is a clear…
A plane has left Germany to pick up Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma in hospital after a suspected poisoning attack, and transfer him from Siberia to Berlin for treatment, the Cinema for Peace Foundation said. The foundation’s activists had arranged for Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov to be treated in Berlin after…
Russians voted by a landslide to pass constitutional changes that will allow Vladimir Putin to run for president twice more, according to preliminary results released last night. Around 78 percent voted yes to the amendments, versus 21 percent against, with turnout about 65 percent. There were reports of widespread irregularities including inconsistent tallies of results,…
