The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Russia, and in particular the case of Oyub Titiev and the Human Rights Centre Memorial.
The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, GUE/NGL, and Greens/EFA groups.
Parliament called for the immediate release of Oyub Titiev, Director of the Memorial Human Rights Centre in the Chechen Republic, who was detained on 9 January 2018, and then officially indicted and remanded on trumped-up charges of illegal acquisition and possession of narcotics. It urged the Russian authorities to ensure full respect for Mr Titiev’s human and legal rights. Members also expressed deep concern over the fact that no one has yet been brought to justice for the murder of Mr Oyub Titiev’s Memorial predecessor and human rights activist in Chechnya, Ms Natalia Estemirova. Parliament underlined that Memorial, the 2009 Sakharov Prize winner, remains one of the most authoritative voices on human rights in Russia today, and has become the last remaining independent human rights organisation to continue to operate in Chechnya.
Members urged the Russian authorities to put an immediate end to the worrying trend of arrests, attacks, intimidations and discreditations of independent journalists and human rights defenders working in that region of the Russian Federation. They underlined that Russia and its government carries the ultimate responsibility for investigating these acts, for bringing perpetrators to justice and for protecting all Russian citizens from unlawful abuse. Parliament also noted that Russian authorities show a tendency towards disrespecting the right of free assembly and detained more than 1 000 demonstrating citizens in Moscow alone and numerous more in several other cities of the Russian Federation after the peaceful demonstrations held on 26 March 2017.
The Commission, the EEAS and Member States were called upon to assist those who have fled Chechnya. All Member States should continue or step up asylum request procedures for victims, journalists and human rights defenders, in accordance with European and national law. In addition, the VP/HR and the EEAS were asked to ensure that all cases of persons prosecuted for political reasons are raised in EU-Russia human rights consultations, when resumed, and that Russia’s representatives in these consultations are formally requested to respond in each case and to report back to Parliament on their exchanges with the Russian authorities.
Lastly, Parliament expressed concern over the reports of arbitrary detention and torture of people perceived to be LGBTI in Chechnya and called on the authorities to end this campaign of persecution and to allow international human rights organisations to conduct a credible investigation into the alleged crimes.