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EU and civil organizations warn against violations of human rights in Russia
03/06/2010
Reporters and activists are the main victims of violence in the Federation, particularly in the Caucasus republics · Dozens of organizations, Amnesty International among them, asked Brussels to put pressure on Moscow during the bilateral summit of May 31.
The issue of violations of human rights in Russia sneaked into the summit between the European Union and the Euro Asiatic country held in Rostov-on-Don on May 31. Human rights organizations had made several petitions to the European body so that abuses committed to journalists and activists throughout the country were made public.
Amnesty International (AI) sent a public letter to the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and to the rotating president of the European Union, José Luís Rodriguez Zapatero, asking the European leaders to address the human rights issue in the summit: “Ongoing violations in the North Caucasus show that human rights abuses in Russia must be scrutinized internationally and the European Union must address these abuses in a consistent manner at every opportunity”.
A number of human rights organizations, Lliga dels Drets dels Pobles (Rights of People’s League) among them, agreed last October to make some recommendations to the European Union. During the summit’s previous days they reminded the institutions some of the measures proposed. They aim at increasing the pressure on Moscow regarding key issues such as the implementation of the decisions issued by the European Court; respect of international agreements on human rights, and the reform of legislation to restrict the use of force by armed forces.
Petitions were taken into account by Van Rompuy. He declared in a press conference after the summit that “the European public opinion is seriously concerned about the situation in Russia for human rights activists and journalists. The Flemish politician said he spoke to the Russian president Dimitri Medviedev about Europe's concerns regarding "the climate of impunity" in Chechnya and other areas of the North Caucasus.
However, the issue of human rights was not among the core aspects in the summit’s agenda, as relations between the union and Moscow are presently dealt with in two separate processes: the EU-Russia summits and the EU-Russian Human Rights Consultations. Amnesty International also criticized the division since it relegates human rights issues to an “inferior arena”.
Image: Victims of violence's relatives at Russia (AI).
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