2012 ORDINARY SESSION

________________________

(Third part)

REPORT

Twentieth Sitting

Monday 25 June 2012 at 3 p.m.

In this report:

1.       Speeches in English are reported in full.

2.       Speeches in other languages are summarised.

3.       Speeches in German and Italian are reproduced in full in a separate document.

4.       Corrections should be handed in at Room 1059A not later than 24 hours after the report has been circulated.

The contents page for this sitting is given at the end of the report.

Mr Slutsky, Vice-President of the Assembly, took the Chair at 3.05 p.m.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – The sitting is open.

1. Progress report

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – The first agenda item is the debate on the progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, Document 12961, and Addendum, and then there will be a free debate. A communication from the President of the Assembly on his official activities between the second and third parts of the Ordinary Session, Document 12963, has been made available for information.

I remind the Assembly that it has agreed that speaking time is limited to three minutes today.

We will have to finish this debate at 4 p.m. in order to move on to the free debate.

I call Mr Mota Amaral to present the progress report. You have 13 minutes in total, which you may divide between presentation of the report and reply to the debate.

Mr MOTA AMARAL (Portugal) – I would like first to take this opportunity to thank the Albanian delegation for the kind invitation to the Bureau and the Standing Committee to meet in Tirana on 24 and 25 May, and for the hospitality they showed us during those two days. I also thank the Secretariat for helping me most effectively to prepare this report.

As usual, the agenda of the Bureau has been very busy. The progress report that we shall discuss today covers three meetings of the Bureau from the Friday of the April part-session to this morning, and the Standing Committee in May. I shall not comment on every single item that the Bureau covered during that period, but I will draw your attention to a few issues that I consider it particularly important for members of this Assembly to be aware of.

As we all know, Assembly reform introduced a new system of subject-based general rapporteurships. The March Standing Committee approved five of them: on violence against women; the rights of LGBT people; science and technology impact assessment; children; and local and regional authorities. The May Standing Committee in Tirana approved another two general rapporteurships: one on the abolition of the death penalty, and the other on the budget and the intergovernmental programme.

I want particularly to highlight the importance for this Assembly of the general rapporteurship on the abolition of the death penalty. The belief that the death penalty has no place in democratic societies has always been one of the key principles of this Organisation, and its abolition in Europe one of its main goals. Indeed, no execution has taken place on Council of Europe territory since 1997, yet we still have a long way to go before we can see capital punishment eradicated on the European continent.

Only recently, executions took place in Belarus, despite a number of international organisations, including the President of this Assembly, having tried to stop them. Several of our observer states, new Partners for Democracy and states applying for such status still carry out executions. We also stand face to face with growing popular sentiment in some of our member states propagating the restoration of the death penalty. It is therefore very important for the Assembly not only to continue to monitor capital punishment matters in general, but to give a special mandate to a general rapporteur to carry the position of the Council of Europe and intervene wherever necessary.

I wish good luck to both new general rapporteurs, to be appointed by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and International Affairs respectively.

Tomorrow, the Assembly will have the task of electing a new Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The Bureau had the opportunity in Tirana to interview the two candidates – Ms Battaini-Dragoni and Mr Stoudmann. The candidates have made presentations to all political groups and visited several of our capitals. Whoever is elected will deserve our congratulations.

Tomorrow, the Assembly will also elect a number of judges to the European Court of Human Rights. The Bureau this morning took note of the report drawn up by the Sub-Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights following interviews with candidates in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and decided to transmit the reports to all members of the Assembly.

The Bureau specifically took note of the recommendation of the sub-committee to reject the list of candidates in respect of Croatia. That recommendation now needs to be approved by the Assembly within this progress report. The Bureau also noted that, following the withdrawal of a candidate on the lists of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the Russian Federation respectively, the procedure has been suspended with respect to those countries, as the rules set out, and their authorities have now been invited to nominate a third candidate in order to complete the list for their countries. The election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights is one of the most important powers of our Assembly. The jurisprudence of the Court is mandatory for the member states and it impacts on the lives of all European citizens. Our vote involves a decision of the utmost responsibility.

On 6 May, the Assembly observed two significant elections, in Armenia and in Serbia. The Standing Committee has already discussed the reports issued by the two ad hoc committees, but I am sure that some of our members who were not in Tirana might still like to reflect on the reports. Meanwhile, the Assembly has been invited to observe two legislative elections in October, in Georgia and in Ukraine. The Assembly has held two current affairs debates on Ukraine, voicing its strong concern over the dubious sentences and the deterioration of the imprisoned opposition politicians in Ukraine. These soft messages from the Assembly do not seem to have had much effect, however. In these circumstances, it is therefore of the utmost importance that the Assembly continue closely to scrutinise political developments in Ukraine and actively to demand that fair conditions for all political parties be guaranteed ahead of the elections. We cannot allow ourselves, after yet another election, simply to state, “Yes, the elections were free, but not fair.”

All Council of Europe member states have voluntarily undertaken to abide by the statute of the Organisation, and they need to be aware that there are consequences for failing to fulfil their obligations. Given the significance of the forthcoming elections in Ukraine, not only for Ukraine itself but for the whole of Europe, I sincerely welcome the Bureau’s decision this morning to increase the number of Assembly observers from 30 to 41. I hope that the Assembly will ratify that decision in this report.

Speaking of our election observation missions, please allow me to use this occasion to reflect on the increased role that I think we should have in monitoring post-electoral situations in the member states of our Organisation. Let us take Russia as an example. We have recently seen two major popular demonstrations protesting against election fraud. They resulted in the arrest of opposition leaders, the unwarranted searches of their flats, the confiscation of their computers and files, and the introduction of heavy fines for protest actions. I hope that we will be able to discuss these concerns at the next Assembly part-session when we finally discuss the report on the honouring by the Russian Federation of its commitments and obligations. However, I think that it is also time for the Bureau to discuss a mechanism that would allow the Assembly to continue longer-term observation of problematic post-electoral situations when the necessity occurs.

Members will find in the report many other activities that I have not had the opportunity to mention. I invite all members to endorse the decisions of the Bureau through the adoption of this progress report. Finally, I draw all members’ attention to three big events that will take place in Strasbourg around the next Assembly session: the Conference of Presidents of Parliament, the Youth Assembly and the World Forum for Democracy. Given that the last two events will take place right after the October part-session, I understand the difficulties that being away from our national duties after a week in Strasbourg would create for our members, myself included. I nevertheless encourage you to participate actively in these events as they will raise the profile of this Assembly among our international partners and, most importantly, the young generation.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you Mr Mota Amaral. In the debate, I first call Mr Santini, on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party.

Mr SANTINI (Italy) said that he commended the rapporteur on a comprehensive account of activities. Human rights were the basis of all of the Council of Europe’s work. The future of the European Court of Human Rights was of the utmost importance. The Court needed to be constantly updated to keep up with developments in Europe and abroad. A new EU representative for human rights was to be appointed and it was important to consider how this person would interact with the Court. There was a risk of overlap, duplication or conflict in the form of turf wars. Although it was cutting the time taken for decisions, there was a risk that the Court, which encapsulated the hopes of European citizens, would disappoint as decisions piled up.

More had to be done to give additional weight to election observers and their reports to ensure that countries heeded reports, especially where they were critical.

The Council of Europe had common interests with the EU and the European Parliament and more co-operation had to be encouraged. The issues of asylum, migration and xenophobia were also important. The Council of Europe needed to stick up for ordinary people.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you Mr Santini. I ask members to please stick to the rules regarding speaking times. I call Mr Díaz Tejera on behalf of the Socialist Group.

Mr DÍAZ TEJERA (Spain) said that what was important about election observation missions was the run-up to polling day and that it was vital to establish links between polling day and the pre-election period. He had had experience of this in Turkey and knew how important observation missions were.

There was a need not only to recognise the importance of human rights organisations but also to monitor their effectiveness in the 47 member states. It was vital to ensure that there was compliance with the Rome Convention. The accord must be kept under review and reforms must be implemented. The burden must not be placed on national authorities. He said that the Court must not be overwhelmed with cases as it was the jewel in the crown of the Council of Europe and had to be fit for purpose.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I now call Ms Brasseur, on behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Ms BRASSEUR (Luxembourg) said that she wished to make three points. First, she congratulated the President on being re-elected to the National Assembly, which meant that he could continue to preside over the work of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe had been a key issue in his election campaign and he had set a good example for other delegates to follow in stressing the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Secondly, she thanked the Deputy Secretary General, whose last session this was. It was sad that she was not able to continue in her role. She had done many fine things, especially for the vulnerable and for children. Ms Brasseur had been pleased to hear applause for the Deputy Secretary General, because since 1969, she had done a great deal for human rights and she had now been designated to defend human rights as an independent individual within the structures of the European Union.

Thirdly, it was important to continue to strengthen the co-operation between the different parts of the Council of Europe and to use the available expertise.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I call Mr Walter, on behalf of the European Democrat Group.

Mr WALTER (United Kingdom) – I echo the kind and welcome remarks of Ms Brasseur, both towards the President of our Assembly and to the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Mr Mota Amaral’s report is, as always, presented efficiently and concisely. However, I was amused this morning when Mr Mota Amaral raised the spelling of his name in the minutes of our proceedings. My family name has only six letters, but you would be amazed at the number of spelling variations people come up with when they write it down.

This progress report comes at a time of continuing economic crisis in Europe, which we will certainly be debating this week. It comes also at a time when human rights and the rule of law have broken down on our border – something that has culminated in the last week in an attack on an aircraft of a member state of the Council of Europe – and at a time when Egypt faces a crisis of democracy, which is another issue that we will debate this week.

We will debate the economy tomorrow. This is a crisis that affects us all, but the responsibility also rests with us all. This is no longer a blame game: we all have to find the solutions to this crisis. When we debate the issue tomorrow, I urge colleagues to do so in that spirit. We have to work together. It could be that this crisis is a failure of leadership, or it could be a failure of democracy, as we go from one crisis summit to another. There seems to be a lack of decisive action. Hopefully we will come up with some good ideas tomorrow.

We have debated Syria before. Both the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers have taken positions on this issue. We have condemned the killing, but there has been a frustrating failure on the part of the international community to influence events. I just hope that over the coming months we can find solutions.

Let me turn to the crisis of democracy in Egypt. There are those who questioned the title of the motion, but do not let us forget that the military council in Egypt has basically abolished parliamentary democracy – it has basically abolished the constitution – and has announced the election of a president without the executive powers that normally go with that office.

We are going to have an interesting week, and I look forward to the next progress report from the Bureau.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I call Mr Kox on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left.

Mr KOX (Netherlands) – First, I too congratulate the President of the Assembly. He sought re-election and he was re-elected, and he therefore ensured that we would not have an extra problem in this Assembly. It was good to hear him say a lot about the Council of Europe, its values and its importance for every citizen of Europe. However, given the presidential election on Sunday, we should bear it in mind that many of us who are MPs here and who seek re-election at home are often blamed at home for being here, serving our countries at European level. It would be wise if we could find ways to support our MPs at home if they are willing to do this important work. I would like to hear the rapporteur’s reaction to this, because it is the only way to ensure that we have the best people here and, indeed, that we do not end up being an Assembly of back benchers.

Secondly, I thank Ms de Boer-Buquicchio for the long term that she served here. Since I first came, she has always been here. She has been a stable element in our Assembly. We all know that she has had some struggles in her life with regard to her health, and I want to thank her for serving for so long. We in the Group of the Unified European Left would have preferred her to have prolonged her term rather than to elect a successor now, but that was the decision that was taken.

Lastly, I have a question to put to the rapporteur, who is also a long-standing member of the Assembly. In a progress report, we report what we said in the Assembly, in the committees and in the Standing Committee, but meanwhile things happen. The weird thing is, of course, that there is a big contradiction between what we say here and how we want to improve European civilisation and what is actually happening in Europe. I shall mention a few examples: the decline of media freedom in Moldova; the decline of freedom of expression in Russia after the presidential election; the decline of democratic and minority rights in Turkey; and the decline in the rights of sovereign states under the pressure of the European Union. Those are the negative things that are developing. I would like the rapporteur, whether or not he agrees with me, to agree that we should find more space in a progress report also to mention what is really happening in order to check whether there is any balance between what we say here and what is happening in reality.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Kox. We need to respect the rules, distinguished colleagues. I call Mr Pozzo di Borgo.

Mr POZZO di BORGO (France) said that he had been a member of the ad hoc committee charged with observing the legislative elections in Armenia. They had been relatively peaceful. The new code seemed to have been observed. Clear progress had been made and he questioned the relative severity of the report. He had been struck by the close co-operation between the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The report was not the normal, balanced Council of Europe report and the American influence at the OSCE was notable. The Council of Europe needed to be careful to appreciate that progress had been made. It had taken centuries for Great Britain and France to make the kind of changes that were being discussed, while Armenia and Serbia had been dictatorships until recently. Colleagues who made criticisms needed to be aware how important it was to strengthen the independence of the Council of Europe, which had to avoid giving too much weight to the views of any particular countries or parties.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Pozzo di Borgo. I call Mr Rustamyan.

Mr RUSTAMYAN (Armenia) said that on 6 May legislative elections had taken place in Armenia. This had been discussed in the Standing Committee but the opposition had not been there and its presence was essential. As a representative of the opposition, he would try to redress the balance. The observation mission had been particularly important because Armenia would hold presidential elections in February. During the legislative elections, there had been more balanced media coverage, but Armenia had not been able to get rid of electoral fraud, which was now chronic. There was a flagrant difference between the number of real electors and the electoral roll. The Constitutional Court had made things worse by rejecting the demands of the opposition in relation to voter signatures. Another distinctive trait of the elections was that votes had been bought. If this was allowed to continue, there would be no way in which Armenia could be said to be holding legitimate elections. It was essential that there was confidence before the presidential election.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Rustamyan. I now call Mr Seyidov.

Mr SEYIDOV (Azerbaijan) (Translation) – Thank you very much, and I congratulate you on your role leading us here in the Assembly.

(The speaker continued in English)

I thank Mr Moto Amaral very much for an excellent and important progress report, which shows us in which direction we are going. The majority of our friends and colleagues today have mentioned the importance of human rights problems in member states. Just for information, I want to say that just a few days ago the President of Azerbaijan signed a special decree to release the majority of the people whose names are mentioned in the different documents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. That is really very important for democracy in Azerbaijan and for the future development of relationships between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe.

That is the first very important point. The second is that when we are working here, we can see the interest that exists in the Council of Europe in the different problematic issues in the world. In this part-session, we will touch on Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other countries. We should do our best on problematic issues within the Council of Europe area as well, because we have a lot of problems. One of the very important problems for the future of the Council of Europe is Nagorno-Karabakh.

You know, friends, we are doing our best to organise meetings between Armenians and Azerbaijanis under the auspices of the Council of Europe, but that has unfortunately been impossible because of the absence of political will from the Armenian side, which will not discuss the matter. Unfortunately, the sub-committee on Nagorno-Karabakh does not work either.

How can we create confidence-building measures? Only by dialogue. We have come to this Organisation in the name of dialogue. I ask the leadership of the Council of Europe, and especially the Parliamentary Assembly, to do their best to invite our friends and colleagues from Armenia to just discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. That is essential. We must think about the future relationships between countries that are fully fledged members of the Council of Europe. These problematic issues are becoming more dangerous day by day, and we are in favour of dialogue. That is very important for the Council of Europe.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Seyidov. The next speaker was Mr Frunda, but he is not here, so I call Mr Harutyunyan.

Mr HARUTYUNYAN (Armenia) – The Armenian parliamentary elections are over, and they represent a remarkable step forward, as diplomats, international observation missions, non-governmental organisations and journalists have rightly indicated. At the same time, we are far from saying that the elections were ideal. Armenia will keep up the efforts to enhance our electoral laws and practices and our democratic political culture, and we will move towards presidential elections in 2013 accordingly.

I have already presented to the Bureau our critical assessment of the report on the Armenian parliamentary elections. I am not going to repeat my statement, and those who are interested can look at the minutes of the Bureau’s meeting. However, I will propose some steps that could be aimed at improving our Organisation’s image and credibility as a fair broker vis-à-vis electoral monitoring.

First, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s observer mission should conduct observations and produce reports on its own, and those reports should be based either on actual direct observations or on facts that have been checked. At least, when hearsay or the opinion of other observation missions is incorporated, there should be clear reference to that fact.

Secondly, even when there are time pressures, the draft report should be discussed among all members of the observation team in advance of the Bureau meeting, to give all observers the chance to comment on it. In other words, the report must be prepared in an open and transparent manner, with input from all members of the ad hoc committee, not just the leader of the delegation.

Thirdly, the staff assisting the observation mission should be impartial. That was not the case in Armenia, where the staff hired by the OSCE to assist the Council of Europe mission were not only affiliated with the opposition party but even appeared in several political television advertisements for that party. We have to introduce special procedures to ensure political neutrality, which is absolutely imperative. In that regard, we should introduce a rule that staff who are recruited are obliged to sign a statement of the absence of any conflict of interests. All three of those proposals should be properly reflected in our rules of procedure.

To respond to my friend and dear colleague, Mr Seyidov, the Armenian delegation is in favour of dialogue. We are in favour of creating a proper climate for dialogue. That was why, during several sessions, the Armenian delegation proposed the establishment of a moratorium on mutual allegations in this Chamber. Unfortunately, our unilateral action never got a response from the other side. Nevertheless, we are still in favour of dialogue and will create a proper atmosphere for it.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Harutyunyan. We have now completed the list of speakers.

Would you like to respond, Mr Mota Amaral? You have five minutes left.

Mr MOTA AMARAL (Portugal) said that he thanked all the speakers for their contributions.

(The speaker continued in English)

I join those who have congratulated our President, Mr Mignon, on his re-election and Ms de Boer-Buquicchio, the Deputy Secretary General, who is now finishing her mandate.

This report is on the activities of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, and it includes references to what both have done. In my personal capacity, I join in the congratulations that they have been given. I agree especially with the comment that one speaker made about how Mr Mignon emphasised in his candidature the values of the Council of Europe. We always need to maintain that pedagogical attitude in dealing with our citizens. We have to make the values of the Council of Europe well known and insist on human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law. As some members have pointed out, there is a crisis in those values, so we always need to counteract populist propaganda against democracy. We will discuss that in different debates in this part-session.

I support what some of our members have said about the need to avoid the proliferation of institutions related to human rights. There is duplication of effort, in a period in which we are always talking about the inadequate use of public resources. We certainly need to avoid such proliferation. Something should be done in our national capitals to put pressure on national governments about the power of the European bureaucracy, which is always expanding. It should be contained. Rational decisions should be made to grant European citizens protection for their human rights. That is the core business of the Council of Europe and the mission that we have here.

In response to Mr Kox, who especially focused on this item, I say that our participation in the Council of Europe is most useful to our citizens and electors. We need to explain that to them. I understand that some members do not even give notice that they are away from their national parliaments, because they are afraid of censure for not being there. I have a totally different approach. I emphasise the value of participation in international forums, especially European forums, which have direct consequences on the lives of our citizens, and I want my electors to value it also. We should point that out so that they value our participation.

This is a report about a small period of activity for our Assembly. In the next part-session, I hope we will all appreciate what we are doing for the good of European citizens and the promotion of human rights in Europe.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Mota Amaral. The debate is closed.

The Bureau has proposed a number of references to committees. They are set out in the Addendum to Document 12961. Are there any objections to these references?

There are no objections.

The references are approved.

I invite the Assembly to approve the remainder of the progress report.

The progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee is approved.

2. Free debate

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – We now come to the free debate.

I remind members that this debate is for topics not already on the agenda agreed this morning, and I will be asking each speaker to commence by identifying the subject they intend to raise. Speaking time will be limited to three minutes.

I can inform members that, following consultation, 19 Council of Europe institutions have indicated a willingness to supply written answers to questions directed to them during our free debates.

The free debate will finish at 5 p.m.

I call Mr von Sydow on the behalf of the Socialist Group.

Mr VON SYDOW (Sweden) – The Socialist Group has asked me to start the discussion by bringing Kosovo to our attention. I will briefly highlight some recent developments. According to reports, last Friday during talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Serbian President Nikolić stated that Serbia was prepared to continue negotiations with Pristina regarding Kosovo, with the aim of maintaining stability in the region. A new phase of talks will be opened, with the participation of high-ranking representatives, and “all talks should be clear, with clear interpretations and conclusions”, the newly elected president stressed. Key political issues will be on the agenda, such as the north of Kosovo and the protection of minorities, monasteries, churches and property.

I very much welcome the readiness of the Serbian side to resolve key problems with regard to Kosovo by negotiations at a higher level, and I welcome the involvement of the international community as a whole and of the European Union in particular. However, I wonder “Where is the Council of Europe?” Colleagues, can we do more to contribute to the standards of life, peace and stability in the region and developing good neighbourly relations between Pristina and Belgrade?

On 29 May, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy organised a hearing in Paris with the participation of elected representatives to the Kosovo assembly from the majority and from the opposition, including the Serbian component as well as other representatives. That successful event showed how useful it is to strengthen dialogue with the Kosovo representatives.

I also welcome a recent informal discussion held by the Committee of Ministers. It rightly identified problems in Europe, particularly the implementation of Council of Europe standards in some post-conflict areas, such as Kosovo, that are partially or wholly beyond the reach of the Organisation. The Ministers stressed that the Council of Europe should enhance its action regarding the promotion of human rights standards in those areas. As the rapporteur, I call on the Committee of Ministers to play a part in the debate, along with the international community, and to ensure that Kosovo remains high on its agenda. I ask it to be pragmatic and ready to engage in genuine dialogue with the Kosovars, while respecting status neutrality.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I call Ms Lundgren on behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Ms LUNDGREN (Sweden) – I want to express our views on the importance of freedom. Freedom of assembly and freedom to protest are essential in our Council of Europe countries. That space for democratic protests and reactions should be safeguarded carefully in all our countries. We have seen examples of when rulers try to shut the mouths of the people, and what happens in the streets then? It ends up with violence and the decline of society in the long run.

We have seen protests in Russia since December. We have also noticed how colleagues in the Duma in recent weeks voted in favour of a new law curbing freedom of assembly. They toughened punishment with fines six times higher for those who attend, at €7 236, and 11 times higher for those who organise, at €14 472 at the highest. Remember that the average salary is around €600 per month. We have seen the Levada-Center showing polls on what people think about what is happening, and they were against. We have seen the chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights saying that the safeguarder of the Russian Constitution should veto the law. It is the opposite to the road suggested by the Venice Commission, and it is against European standards, he said. However, President Putin did not veto the law. He signed it days before the big rally in the streets of Moscow on 12 June. It was a quickly drafted Bill and we urge you, as members of this Assembly, to act for a change to that law and to safeguard the right of our people, in all our countries, freely and peacefully to protest.

(Mr Mignon, President of the Assembly, took the Chair in place of Mr Slutsky.)

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Ms Lundgren. The next speaker is Ms Bakir, who will speak on behalf of the European Democrat Group.

Ms BAKIR (Turkey) – On behalf of the European Democrat Group, I start my speech by condemning in the strongest terms the shooting down of an unarmed Turkish reconnaissance aircraft by Syria, in international airspace without any warning. This is not an attack on Turkey alone. As Turkey is a member state of the Council of Europe, it is an aggression towards the Council of Europe and a serious breach of international law.

Turkey has never acted alone concerning Syria, and has always been part of regional and international initiatives. Within that context, Turkey invoked Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which provides for consultations by the allies over attacks and threats to member states’ territorial integrity or security. I call on all member states of the Council of Europe to unite behind a plan of action and transition in co-operation with Turkey to promote a political transition in Syria. The incident is still under consultation so I will not comment further, but I underline the fact that Turkey will pursue a calm strategy in a responsible way, and will act together with the international community.

The situation in Syria has deteriorated. After the brutal massacre in El-Hule on 25 May, 102 innocent civilians, the majority of whom were women and children, were massacred in Hama on 6 June. It is reported that the humanitarian situation in Deir el-Zour is especially alarming: 1 500 civilians have reportedly been wounded in heavy military shelling in recent days. The city’s hospitals are full of dead and wounded. Many more injured civilians cannot even reach the hospitals due to heavy sniper fire and shelling, and are treated in private homes.

The number of refugees fleeing to Turkey is rapidly increasing. Turkey is hosting 32 000 Syrian refugees and has spent more than $200 million from its own national resources for food, accommodation, health, education and social services for the civilians.

Looking from a humanitarian angle, shouldering that burden together with other member states of the Council of Europe will be imperative for the sustainability of that humanitarian aid and the sheltering of the refugees. We call on the international community to join Turkey in providing financial support with respect to the expenses of civilians in refugee camps in Turkey.

Kofi Annan’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 7 June declared that his plan had not been implemented. Within that context, the United Nations Security Council should adopt a new resolution to force the Syrian authorities to apply the Annan Plan within a certain timeframe.

On behalf of the European Democrat Group, I once again call on the Syrian authorities to stop the bloodshed and the massacres of innocent civilians and to start the process of political transformation towards democracy, peace and stability as soon as possible. However, I also know that this will not be possible without the influence and pressure of the international community.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Ms Bakir. The next speaker is Ms Andersen, who will speak on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left.

Ms ANDERSEN (Norway) – On behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left, I want to highlight the growing, alarming support for and activity of extreme nationalist and fascist, and extreme right-wing, political parties and organisations throughout Europe. In almost every country, they are now appearing. It is an extreme and excluding nationalism. It is not about loving your own country but about hating others. Racism, xenophobia and undemocratic principles are common values for these people. Common to them also is a strong negative approach regarding gender equality. Religious and political extremists seem to fuel each other’s existence. They seem to be mutually dependent.

Unfortunately, there is growing support for these people in our societies. I would say that they are political maniacs. It is difficult to reach out to them, but it is our responsibility to reach out to all those people who feel alienated in our societies. They may turn to the extremists when they feel left behind. That is the fact in every country, which should concern us all. The political bodies in Europe should also be concerned.

Many people feel that what is happening is very far away from us and our daily lives, and that these groups do not really bother with them, but some people feel that these groups acknowledge their needs, and that they are being noticed and respected as individuals. Of course, it is easy to make foreigners and immigrants the scapegoats for things that go wrong in society. That is now the fact in many countries, and was also one of the political reasons put forward by the terrorist in Norway for his terrible attack. Such things can happen in a country such as Norway.

This problem is the main challenge to us for the months and years ahead because it is about denying the core values of the Council of Europe: democracy, human rights and equal opportunities.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Ms Andersen. The next speaker is Mr Ghiletchi who will speak on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party.

Mr GHILETCHI (Republic of Moldova) – On behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party, I want to speak about religious freedom. In our European society, freedom of thought, conscience and religion are fundamental rights. That high standard of human rights is, for the most part, the product of our society’s deep Christian heritage. Although the main pillars of Christianity are faith, charity, dignity and respect, many who promote such values become the target of discriminatory attacks. An ever increasing number of cases of “Christianophobia” have been recorded in Europe. According to a report published on 19 March 2012 by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, a non-governmental organisation based in Vienna, 85% of hate crimes committed in Europe during 2011 were aimed at Christians. The report summarised incidents ranging from vandalism and insults to suppression of religious symbols, desecrations, hate crimes and religiously motivated violence.

Regrettably, this is not the only report that shows worrying data about intolerance of and discrimination against Christians in Europe. The same kind of conclusions emerge from a study conducted in Britain by ComRes – one of the leading polling agencies – which found that 74% of those surveyed believed that there was more intolerance and discrimination against Christians than against people of other religions in Europe. That compares with 66% in November 2009. One reason for that trend is that the Christian church stands for traditional values, especially in regard to family, marriage and the sanctity of life.

According to statistics offered by the Scottish Government in 2011, 95% of religiously motivated violence in Scotland is aimed at Christians. In November 2010, the French Minister of the Interior wrote a letter to the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe stating that of 485 acts of vandalism against faith sites, 410 had been directed against Christian sites. That is more than 80%. Other sources indicate that people are marginalised for the simple reason that they are in favour of Christian values.

Although religious freedom in eastern Europe is growing, it is still fragile, and cases of discrimination and intolerance are common. A relevant example is the discrimination against representatives of small Christian denominations, such as Protestant and neo-Protestant. If we look outside Europe to our neighbouring regions, we find that the situation of Christians in countries such as Libya, Egypt and Syria is critical. While clashes between government troops and opposition forces have been blamed for the social and political unrest there, Christians have often been caught in the crossfire and become targets of violent revenge attacks. I am glad that we shall have an opportunity on Thursday to discuss the situation in Egypt, but I regret that the title of the report has been changed. Initially, the proposal was to discuss the situation of Christians in Egypt, which I believe would have been much more appropriate.

European society has always been an example of democracy worthy of being followed by developing countries, but the growing discrimination against Christianity, both inside and outside Europe, is a matter of concern. That is why I believe it important to bring these issues to your attention, and I hope that the Assembly will take note of them.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Mr Ghiletchi, the title of the urgent debate was modified to make it more general, but in discussing the wider Egyptian crisis, speakers will be able to consider the subject that you have raised.

Mr Agramunt is not present, so I call Mr Axelsson.

Mr AXELSSON (Sweden) – Lack of health care is a global problem leading to high rates of maternal death and unplanned pregnancies. Approximately 1 000 women die every day due to complications from pregnancy or delivery. It is a human right for everyone, but especially for women and children, to have access to health care services in order to preserve and improve their health. Sadly, that is not the reality in all countries today, but it does not have to be that way.

The World Health Organization has recognised the importance of midwives in promoting the health of women and babies, and strongly encourages midwives to be the primary health care providers for pregnant women throughout the world. Another important aspect is the lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive health services. That is a major contributing factor in maternal mortality. Women’s right to make their own decisions about their bodies must be a priority, and that includes the right to safe and free abortions.

This is not only a question for women; it is as much the responsibility of all men to work towards these goals. Tragically, poor women are extremely vulnerable to illness, disability and even death due to the lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health services. It might be hard to imagine, but in some countries a woman is more likely to die in childbirth than to graduate from the sixth grade. As parliamentarians, it is our responsibility to all women and children to do something about that. I strongly urge all men to climb up on the barricades and to join the women in their fight for women’s and children’s rights. That is the only possible way to succeed in this struggle.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you Mr Axelsson. The next speaker is Ms Woldseth.

Ms WOLDSETH (Norway) – Mr Khodorkovsky, Mrs Tymoshenko and Mr Hasanov are all in prison, either as political prisoners or prisoners of conscience. If they had been nationals of countries that were not involved with the Council of Europe, I would not have been surprised at that, but they are from member states. That is shaming for the values and standards of the Council of Europe, and it is totally unacceptable that we should allow the situation to continue. Member states of the Council of Europe have all signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights, and they should not have prisoners of conscience. If the Council of Europe wants to keep its credibility, we need to strike down these situations as they head in the wrong direction. We observe and criticise elections and we shall go on doing that because they concern entire populations, but we also need to remember that individuals have rights, and when our Court in Strasbourg is not able to handle its case load, we have a responsibility to ensure that none of the important pending cases is forgotten.

We as politicians have some influence, and we must not allow ourselves to forget that every day, every month and every year, people are being held in prison without a fair trial. Their freedom has been taken away from them because of what they believe in. Some governments try to make it look as though they have committed a crime, to cover up the fact that they feel that the person in question poses a threat. In the name of democracy, freedom of speech, the rule of law – and, let us not forget, human rights – we can no longer quietly accept the fact that prisoners are being held because of their beliefs or convictions.

The reason that I started my speech by reading out the names of several prisoners of conscience was to show that I was not targeting one country in particular. My goal was to point a finger at an issue that we should talk about during every session. We should talk about it until there is nothing more to talk about, and until all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience have been released.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you Ms Woldseth. Mr Beneyto is not present. I call Ms Brasseur.

Ms BRASSEUR (Luxembourg) said that she wanted to repeat her congratulations on the contributions to the debate on the activity report. She thanked the Deputy Secretary General for her work for the Assembly and said that it was a shame that she would not continue to serve and that that was an opinion which was widely shared.

While lobbying had a role, it could reach an unacceptable scale. All delegates would have been approached by NGOs, pressure groups, embassies and other interest groups, often by email and other means, which amounted to a burden. She tended towards the view of resisting all such approaches. While information was important and the Assembly should support anyone fighting for one of its important causes, a guarantee was required that this would not go too far. Colleagues had been under pressure to vote one way or another and it was necessary to resist this. The Council of Europe needed to defend freedom of speech but not become the victim of overreaching lobby groups. This issue needed to be reflected on in more depth, and although more information was necessary, more pressure was not.

THE PRESIDENT said that he thanked Ms Brasseur for the courage she displayed in raising this issue. Enough was enough and it was important to act and to reflect on the rules. He called Mr Díaz Tejera.

Mr DÍAZ TEJERA (Spain) said that he echoed the comments of Ms Brasseur, especially in relation to the Deputy Secretary General. Ms Brasseur had said that the President had run his campaign on the cultural values of the Council of Europe and that these values were not attached to any particular ideology but went right across society and were vital to the rule of law in Council of Europe countries. The financial crisis posed a danger to the values of the Council of Europe. The public held politicians responsible for the crisis to the extent that all political activity was regarded as suspect and there had been an increase in support for parties of the extreme right.

There were two specific problems regarding the European Court of Human Rights. First, it was necessary to ask who was responsible for the situation. Too many cases that could have been tackled at national level were being submitted. Secondly, he did not understand why seven people meeting in secret for three days got to decide on the candidates to be judges in the Court without the Assembly the details of the process. Transparency should be the norm, but the current process reminded him of the Cold War.

THE PRESIDENT thanked Mr Díaz Tejera and reminded him of the resolution that had been adopted when Council of Europe reform had been discussed. A decision had been taken that a sub-committee would be charged with selecting candidates to be judges and that the sub-committee should present its reasoning. It was necessary to think about this process because it was difficult for MPs to express their opinion on a recommendation from a sub-committee simply by means of a vote. It was important to be careful and to be fully informed. He called Mr Oscarsson.

Mr OSCARSSON (Sweden) – It is in the Christian tradition and in the advancement of humanistic values that we find the foundation of human dignity and our civilisation. As we say, there is a purpose to man – the pure existence of human life tells us of its own value. I say this not only as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly, but as a father-to-be once more. The life of every person – however great or small, and whatever sex, health status, religion or nationality – is sacred. As the European Convention on Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person”.

One of the decisions we have made in the Parliamentary Assembly from this common ground concerns the protection of unborn girls from sexual discrimination. This is something we should be proud of. I would like us to take a similar stand, not only on the value of girls, but on the value of disabled boys and girls. Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons declares that the “effective enjoyment” of this “right to life” must be ensured to “persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others”.

In technologically advanced societies, people with genetic disabilities suffer increasingly from widespread prejudice. In some European countries, over 90% of foetuses diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are now eliminated before birth. The victims of selective abortion in the western world today are mostly the deformed. The intentional abortion of the disabled is due to a preference for healthy, almost perfect offspring. The main cause for this preference is the low value attached to the disabled. However, without the girl with Down’s syndrome or the boy with an intellectual disability, and without our standing up for their right to life, we have betrayed the Convention. As the preamble says, the “realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms” contributes to “greater unity” among the European nations. As we have made decisions on sexual discrimination, so let us make decisions on discrimination against the disabled and deformed.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Oscarsson. I call Ms Christoffersen.

Ms CHRISTOFFERSEN (Norway) – One month ago, Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision song contest – a successful event, for which the organisers have received well-deserved congratulations. However, beneath the surface, the picture looks a bit different. In advance, the authorities had guaranteed proper working conditions and safety for all journalists covering the event. That obligation was not fulfilled.

Let me tell you what happened at Baku airport to one of the crews from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. After a lot of questions at the passport desk, one of the team members, Mr Asgharnejad, was taken to a small room at the airport. For more than an hour, he was questioned and forced to undress and to spit and stamp on the Iranian flag. This was videotaped by police officers, who threatened him with death. That harassment took place because the regime did not like some of the material that the team had published on the Internet. They were also told that if they ever spoke about this incident when back in Norway, they would be killed by agents.

Such harassment of journalists is nothing but disrespect of human rights and is totally unacceptable. No explanations or apologies have been made either to the journalist or to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. I want our co-rapporteurs for Azerbaijan to look into this incident. When a regime can do this to foreign journalists visiting their country, what can they do to their own journalists who criticise the regime? Of course, we know something about that. One year ago, I spoke in this Chamber about the Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Malahat Nasibova. Harassment by the regime hit not only her but her three children. Five months ago, the two older ones got political asylum in Norway. They are now my neighbours back home. Their little sister, aged 17, has recently been expelled from school in Nakhitsjevan. It is not only cowardly for a regime to take action against children; it is quite simply an abuse of power.

In this Assembly, we have a delegation of parliamentarians from Azerbaijan. I urge you, as members of this human rights Organisation, to look into those two examples of the abuse of power in your country and to do something about them. That could also be advantageous to other people in your country and bring you one step further in the direction of democracy.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you for raising that problem, Ms Christoffersen. I now call Mr Tsiskarishvili.

Mr TSISKARISHVILI (Georgia) – I join colleagues in acknowledging this new format that allows us to speak freely without any specific agenda about the particular items that are on the minds of politicians in this Organisation.

I should like to raise a few issues. First, parliamentary elections will be held in Georgia this October, and we have carried out a number of reforms to prepare free, transparent and fair elections. The elections will take place just three months from now, and we have carried out an important reform of the election code. That has been an inclusive process, with opposition parties and NGOs participating to ensure that all the shortcomings of previous elections are addressed. Secondly, we are in the process of carrying out the reform of media pluralism – the so-called must-carry principle, whereby cable TV providers are obliged to broadcast and carry all TV and media outlets, notwithstanding their political sympathies or affiliations. Finally, we are inviting a full-scale, long-term observation mission from around Europe and the rest of the world to observe those elections and make sure that they are transparent, free and fair.

I would also make a point about Russia’s planned so-called strategic military exercises, which will unfortunately coincide with the timing of Georgia’s elections. I wish to make this point so that we do not have to deal with the consequences that we sometimes have to face. Unfortunately, we sometimes say that we should have known about something earlier. I am speaking to you, dear colleagues, three months before we hold parliamentary elections in Georgia, and Russia’s military exercises are also planned for the same time. Please pay attention and be vigilant, so that we do not have to deal with the consequences if something goes wrong.

Finally, I want to make a point about EU integration. The EU is an idea; it is not only a co-operation agreement across Europe, and something that Georgia and its people aspire to. We understand that it has been damaged a little by the financial crisis, but we believe – do not take this as a criticism or a complaint, but just as an observation from outside – that if there is better co-ordination of not only financial and economic aspects, but on the foreign policy agenda and objectives in energy policy, the European Union, as a bloc, as an idea and as a method of financial integration, will work much better and be more successful. That would be in the interests not only of EU member states but of the countries on the edge that aspire to join the EU, such as my own country.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Tsiskarishvili. I call Ms Zohrabyan.

Ms ZOHRABYAN (Armenia) said that it was important to have an opportunity to debate urgent issues. On several occasions, the Assembly had defended the initiative of Azerbaijan and of the Turkish former President of the Council of Europe to set up a sub-committee on Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan had violated the cease-fire on several occasions and on 4 June had tried to enter a village in the area. Three Armenian soldiers had died and others had been injured. In addition, a primary school had come under fire. The children had to be taken to a special shelter where they listened to music to distract them from what was happening. When talking about human rights and the fact that the life of a child was irreplaceable, it was important for the international community to bear these events in mind. In April, she had gone to Baku and had been concerned that the word “democracy” was not being used as it should be. The Council of Europe should not simply express good will but put its words into practice. A tragedy was taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan should not be allowed to violate the cease-fire.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. The next speaker is Ms Črnak Meglič.

Ms ČRNAK MEGLIČ (Slovenia) – I am honoured to address you on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and its president, Dr Fayez al-Tarawneh, the Prime Minister of Jordan, to inform you about the activities of our Mediterranean forum for parliamentary diplomacy.

As you know, PAM is an inter-state regional organisation that gathers parliamentarians from 26 Mediterranean states, observer countries and partner organisations. It works in close co-operation with the United Nations, notably in its capacity as permanent observer to the UN General Assembly.

PAM is very proud to have brought its structured partnership with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to a higher level through enhanced co-ordination of efforts. A good example of the co-operation between PACE and PAM is our joint effort to deal with food security throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region. PAM’s active participation in the PACE hearing on food security, held by the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs in Paris in November 2011, was beneficial in consolidating a common approach and providing concrete input into the ongoing legislative processes in our national parliaments. Furthermore, PAM has shared that experience with UNESCO.

Another of our sectoral priorities is energy, with a special focus on the energy mix. A few months ago, under PAM’s auspices, the Mediterranean Association of Transport Operators was launched. In September, PAM and PACE will jointly organise the first pan-Mediterranean parliamentary debate on renewable energy, with a special interest in solar energy, to be held in Morocco.

On the issue of migration, which this Assembly will tackle on Wednesday, PAM has adopted a series of reports dealing with the various aspects of the matter over the past five years. We have considered the phenomenon from its roots and addressed the related security, economic and human rights components in a balanced and in-depth manner.

PAM has further developed structured co-operation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to foster investment in infrastructure and small and medium-sized enterprises, totalling €2.5 billion in four Mediterranean pilot countries. PAM’s high-level international hearing with the major European and African banks and the private sector will take place in Lisbon in June.

The Middle East remains a key issue for PAM. Since its inception, it has mobilised all its instruments to facilitate the Israeli-Arab peace process. That is a top priority. I look forward to further co-operation between PAM and PACE.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I cannot see Mr Minashvili, so I call Mr Koç.

Mr KOÇ (Turkey) said that he wanted to raise the issue of 10 Turkish members of parliament who were imprisoned after elections on 12 June 2011. They were from three different parties and remained in prison despite there being no proof, no ruling and no sentence. This had led members of several parties to refuse to take the oath at the 2011 opening of parliament and to the leader of the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party or CHP, writing to both the European Commission and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 30 June to highlight the situation. Both main parties – the Justice and Development Party or AKP and CHP – then issued a joint declaration in the first week of July 2011 that stressed that this could not continue and following which 133 CHP members swore their oaths. Despite this, a week had passed with no change, and the members had remained in prison without a ruling. Indeed, the rapporteur of the Assembly for post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey noted in July 2011 that requests to free them had been rejected, following which she noted that the committee would be following the situation closely. The entire story was a lesson in democracy, which needed more than just elections – the rule of law, freedom and individual rights were all needed as well. Without rights and democratic scrutiny, citizens were at risk of oppression. He questioned whether Turkey really was making progress, and wondered whether its democracy was an illusion.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. The next speaker is Ms Durrieu.

Ms DURRIEU (France) said that she supported Mr Koç and that she had visited three of the MPs concerned the previous week. Her topic was the spring, not just the Arab Spring but the fact that there had been a spring too in Quebec. The movement there had its origins in students hit by tuition fee rises and targeted by the government through Bill 78, and their response had gained support more widely. This reflected the fact that the young were at the centre of a broader crisis, which, though at its heart an economic one, was hitting all areas including equality. Young people wanted equal access to education, and inequality in that area had to be overcome. Education was expensive but invaluable and young people had to be supported.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I now call Mr Dişli.

Mr DİŞLİ (Turkey) – Terrorism poses one of the greatest threats to domestic and international peace and security, as well as to domestic institutions. We are mindful that terrorism violates the full enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including the right to live, and that it cannot have any justification under any pretext. I would like to talk about the ongoing violent activities of the PKK terrorist organisation in Turkey. As you might recall, we are trying every possible opportunity to further a peaceful and democratic environment and solve existing problems in south-east Turkey. We have started with the Kurdish initiative and introduced various reforms. In the meantime, we have invested in infrastructure to improve the social and economic conditions of the people in the region. Recently, the main opposition party, the CHP, has taken an initiative to that end that was welcomed by the government and widely supported by politicians, academics, media and civil society.

The leader of the BDP, Selahattin Demirtas, has called on the PKK terrorist organisation to lay down its weapons. In her recent statements, Leyla Zana, a member of the BDP and a Sakharov peace prize winner, has placed confidence in Prime Minister Erdoğan for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue. Starting from the next education year, the Turkish Government will introduce in schools language classes including Kurdish and other languages and dialects spoken in Turkey.

Despite those positive developments, the PKK re-intensified its terrorist activities by attacking civilians and security targets, and claiming more than 300 lives in Turkey since the beginning of the year. Last week, eight people were killed and 16 were wounded as a result of PKK attacks. Only yesterday and today, the PKK killed two police officers and a solider.

The pressure exerted on civil society in the south-east region of the country by this terrorist organisation to prevent the achievement of a peaceful settlement of the tension impedes democratic reforms and the prospects of a solution. It is worth noting that the terrorist organisation has increased its efforts when there is a positive atmosphere for a peaceful solution. For that reason, I call on colleagues in the Assembly who are talking to representatives of the PKK terrorist organisation, for whatever reason, please to advise them to lay down their weapons and engage in a constructive dialogue at this time, which is conducive to achieving a solution.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I call Mr Huseynov.

Mr HUSEYNOV (Azerbaijan) – The recent developments in the South Caucasus have turned into a serious threat to peace and stability in the whole of Europe, making it necessary for the Assembly to take urgent steps. What is the major threat? Through the support of certain external powers, Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijani territories and kept them under its control for nearly 20 years. In recent months, it has begun intense violation of the cease-fire regime. A solution through negotiations to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is subject to occupation, was one of the commitments undertaken both by Armenia and by Azerbaijan. The systematic violation of the cease-fire regime by Armenia and its clear belligerent intent once more vividly manifests the absence of this state’s aspiration to a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the problem. Neglecting all the efforts of the Council of Europe, Armenia regularly undermines the activities of the ad hoc committee on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was established by a decision of the Bureau and is another factor that leads to my conclusion.

The renewal of large-scale war seems realistic. When comparing the human resources, economy and military potential of Armenia and Azerbaijan, extreme distinctions become obvious to everybody. With all the comparisons going against Armenia, why is it insistently eager for war? There are two reasons. The country is in a tragic situation for political and economic reasons, and the discontent of the people has reached a high level that has generated a hopeless situation. The Armenian authorities perceive as an enemy not only their neighbour, but also their own nation; they are ready to benefit from all opportunities to distract focus away from their internal problems.

With no chance of victory in the possible war, why is Armenia rushing towards tragedy? As always, Armenia hopes for the support of external powers. The country can hardly be considered an independent state and given the number of foreign military bases placed in its territory Armenia cannot be compared with any member state of the Council of Europe. The involvement of external powers in the conflict between the two countries could lead to war on an unbelievably tragic scale, as well as to hostilities across a huge geographical area through chain reaction. Urgent and pressing measures should be taken to avoid that eruption.

Debates between the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations within the ad hoc committee on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be organised in this part-session. The Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers, through all their powers and mechanisms of influence, should demand the prevention of breaches of the cease-fire regime.

The Armenian people, the Azerbaijani people, the region, democratic Europe – none of them needs this war. Then who needs it? Let us think about a reply to that question and not for an instant forget that the danger of a big war is extremely real. Be alert.

THE PRESIDENT said that he was attempting to find space in the timetable to bring together the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations, in order to try to find solutions that would ensure a more agreeable tone in future discussions. He noted that the ad hoc committee had not been reconstituted, and that in fact no decision had been taken on its reformation. He would discuss with the delegations and the Bureau whether there was merit in doing so but results had been nugatory in the past. He called Mr Villumsen.

Mr VILLUMSEN (Denmark) – Allow me to draw the attention of the Assembly to human rights and freedom of speech in Turkey. As we sit here now, around 100 journalists are in prison in Turkey. That is a violation of a fundamental human right, that of freedom of speech. As an Assembly, we have to address that problem and state clearly that we cannot accept the violation of basic human rights.

As you are probably also aware, the Kurdish question is crucial in Turkey. That conflict has to be solved in a peaceful and democratic way. That is also why I have to make you aware that things are not moving in the right direction. A few weeks ago, the Turkish politician, human rights defender and receiver of the Sakharov peace prize from the European Parliament, Leyla Zana, received a verdict of 10 years’ imprisonment due to statements made before the election. That verdict should be a concern for us all, not only because of the absurd claims against Leyla Zana, but because she is just one in a long line of politicians, mayors and locally elected representatives sentenced by the Turkish state. Our message must be clear: these violations of fundamental rights are not according to the basic principles of the Council of Europe, and are not acceptable.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you. I call the final speaker, from the Palestinian National Council, Mr Sabella, Partner for Democracy.

Mr SABELLA (Palestinian National Council) – I would like to share with the Assembly a number of Palestinian concerns. First is the issue of administrative detention practised by Israel to detain Palestinians. Among thousands of prisoners, at least 303 are in administrative detention, of whom 22 are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council – fellow parliamentarians. That practice, based on Israeli Military Order 1651, allows military commanders to detain an individual for renewable periods of up to six months, without trial. We are very concerned about that and call on your Assembly to keep the subject in your political deliberations.

The second concern is the prospects for negotiation. To restart the political process, President Abbas, in his meeting last month with President Hollande, offered to restart negotiations if Palestinian prisoners were released. To date, we have not heard from the Israelis on this. If the political process remains stalled, there is serious thinking in the Palestinian leadership to go to the United Nations General Assembly in September seeking permanent observer status.

The third concern is settler actions, from burning a mosque in Jaba’ village near Jerusalem to destroying property and produce of Palestinians as what the settlers term the “price tag”, and from the efforts of settlers to dispossess Jerusalem Palestinians of their properties to other activities, which add up to land grabbing and a situation of conflict and confrontation.

The fourth concern is the recent escalation of the Gaza situation, which runs counter to everyone’s expectations for the peace process and some sense of stability. In spite of the ongoing siege of Gaza by Israel, we hope that the situation might improve. We call on your august Assembly to be supportive of efforts that can bring us closer to a negotiated political solution and that can, given the recent developments in the region, make a serious effort at finding a lasting solution.

Without ending the occupation, shared democratic values with Europe will always be lacking, because justice and peace, and ending the Israeli occupation, are the best guarantees for introducing democracy with peace.

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – Thank you, Mr Sabella. It is after 5 p.m.

I must now interrupt the list of speakers. The speeches of members on the speakers list who have been present during the debate but have not been able to speak may be given, in typescript, to the Table Office for publication in the official report.

The debate is closed.

3. Date, time and agenda of the next sitting

THE PRESIDENT (Translation) – The Assembly will hold its next public sitting tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. with the agenda which was approved this morning.

The sitting is closed.

(The sitting was closed at 5.05 p.m.)

CONTENTS

1. Progress report

Presentation by Mr Mota Amaral of the progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, Document 12961 and Addendum

Speakers:

Mr Santini (Italy)

Mr Díaz Tejera (Spain)

Ms Brasseur (Luxembourg)

Mr Walter (United Kingdom)

Mr Kox (Netherlands)

Mr Pozzo di Borgo (France)

Mr Rustamyan (Armenia)

Mr Seyidov (Azerbaijan)

Mr Harutyunynan (Armenia)

Reply:

Mr Mota Amaral

Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee approved

2. Free debate

Speakers:

Mr Von Sydow (Sweden)

Ms Lundgren (Sweden)

Ms Bakir (Turkey)

Ms Andersen (Norway)

Mr Ghiletchi (Republic of Moldova)

Mr Axelsson (Sweden)

Ms Woldseth (Norway)

Ms Brasseur (Luxembourg)

Mr Díaz Tejera (Spain)

Mr Oscarsson (Sweden)

Ms Christoffersen (Norway)

Mr Tsiskarishvili (Georgia)

Ms Zohrabyan (Armenia)

Ms Črnak Meglič (Slovenia)

Mr Koç (Turkey)

Ms Durrieu (France)

Mr Dişli (Turkey)

Mr Huseynov (Azerbaijan)

Mr Villumsen (Denmark)

Mr Sabella (Palestinian National Council)

3. Date, time and agenda of the next sitting

Appendix

Representatives or Substitutes who signed the Attendance Register in accordance with Rule 11.2 of the Rules of Procedure. The names of Substitutes who replaced absent Representatives are printed in small letters. The names of those who were absent or apologised for absence are followed by an asterisk.

Francis AGIUS

Pedro AGRAMUNT

Arben AHMETAJ*

Alexey Ivanovich ALEKSANDROV*

Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ*

José Antonio ALONSO*

Karin ANDERSEN

Lord Donald ANDERSON

Florin Serghei ANGHEL*

Khadija ARIB*

Mörður ÁRNASON

Francisco ASSIS*

Þuriður BACKMAN*

Daniel BACQUELAINE*

Viorel Riceard BADEA*

Gagik BAGHDASARYAN*

Pelin Gündeş BAKIR

Gerard BARCIA DUEDRA/Sílvia Eloïsa Bonet Perot

Doris BARNETT*

José Manuel BARREIRO/Carmen Quintanilla

Deniz BAYKAL

Marieluise BECK*

Alexander van der BELLEN/Martina Schenk

José María BENEYTO

Deborah BERGAMINI*

Robert BIEDROŃ*

Grzegorz BIERECKI*

Gülsün BİLGEHAN

Oksana BILOZIR

Brian BINLEY*

Ľuboš BLAHA*

Roland BLUM*

Jean-Marie BOCKEL

Eric BOCQUET/Maryvonne Blondin

Olena BONDARENKO*

Olga BORZOVA

Mladen BOSIĆ/Mladen Ivanić

António BRAGA

Anne BRASSEUR

Márton BRAUN*

Federico BRICOLO*

Ankie BROEKERS-KNOL

Piet DE BRUYN

Patrizia BUGNANO/Giuliana Carlino

André BUGNON

Natalia BURYKINA

Sylvia CANEL*

Mevlüt ÇAVUŞOĞLU*

Mikael CEDERBRATT/ Kerstin Lundgren

Otto CHALOUPKA*

Vannino CHITI

Christopher CHOPE

Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN

Desislav CHUKOLOV*

Lolita ČIGĀNE/Andris Bērzinš

Boriss CILEVIČS

James CLAPPISON*

Deirdre CLUNE*

Georges COLOMBIER

Agustín CONDE

Titus CORLĂŢEAN*

Igor CORMAN*

Telmo CORREIA

Carlos COSTA NEVES*

Cristian DAVID*

Joseph DEBONO GRECH

Giovanna DEBONO*

Armand De DECKER*

Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA

Peter van DIJK*

Klaas DIJKHOFF*

Şaban DİŞLİ

Karl DONABAUER

Daphné DUMERY*

Alexander (The Earl of) DUNDEE*

Josette DURRIEU

Mikuláš DZURINDA

Baroness Diana ECCLES*

József ÉKES*

Tülin ERKAL KARA

Gianni FARINA*

Nikolay FEDOROV*

Relu FENECHIU*

Vyacheslav FETISOV*

Doris FIALA*

Daniela FILIPIOVÁ/Pavel Lebeda

Axel E. FISCHER*

Jana FISCHEROVÁ

Gvozden Srećko FLEGO*

Paul FLYNN

Hans FRANKEN

Jean-Claude FRÉCON

Erich Georg FRITZ

György FRUNDA

Giorgi GABASHVILI*

Alena GAJDŮŠKOVÁ

Sir Roger GALE*

Jean-Charles GARDETTO*

Tamás GAUDI NAGY

Valeriu GHILETCHI

Sophia GIANNAKA/Dimitrios Papadimoulis

Paolo GIARETTA*

Michael GLOS*

Pavol GOGA*

Obrad GOJKOVIĆ/Snežana Jonica

Jarosław GÓRCZYŃSKI/Mirosława Nykiel

Svetlana GORYACHEVA

Martin GRAF

Sylvi GRAHAM

Andreas GROSS

Arlette GROSSKOST*

Dzhema GROZDANOVA

Attila GRUBER*

Antonio GUTIÉRREZ*

Ana GUŢU/ Corina Fusu

Carina HÄGG

Sabir HAJIYEV

Andrzej HALICKI

Mike HANCOCK*

Margus HANSON

Davit HARUTYUNYAN

Håkon HAUGLI

Norbert HAUPERT

Oliver HEALD

Alfred HEER

Olha HERASYM'YUK*

Andres HERKEL

Adam HOFMAN*

Serhiy HOLOVATY

Jim HOOD*

Joachim HÖRSTER

Anette HÜBINGER

Andrej HUNKO

Susanna HUOVINEN

Ali HUSEYNLI*

Rafael HUSEYNOV

Stanisław HUSKOWSKI*

Shpëtim IDRIZI/Kastriot Islami

Željko IVANJI*

Igor IVANOVSKI*

Tadeusz IWIŃSKI*

Denis JACQUAT/Bernard Fournier

Roman JAKIČ

Ramón JÁUREGUI*

Michael Aastrup JENSEN

Mogens JENSEN*

Mats JOHANSSON/Mikael Oscarsson

Birkir Jón JÓNSSON*

Armand JUNG

Antti KAIKKONEN

Ferenc KALMÁR*

Božidar KALMETA/Melita Mulić

Mariusz KAMIŃSKI*

Michail KATRINIS*

Burhan KAYATÜRK*

Bogdan KLICH/Jadwiga Rotnicka

Haluk KOÇ

Igor KOLMAN*

Tiny KOX

Marie KRARUP/Sophie Løhde

Borjana KRIŠTO*

Václav KUBATA*

Jean-Pierre KUCHEIDA/Jean-Pierre Michel

Dalia KUODYTĖ*

Ertuğrul KÜRKÇÜ*

Athina KYRIAKIDOU

Igor LEBEDEV*

Jean-Paul LECOQ*

Harald LEIBRECHT*

Terry LEYDEN*

Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE

Lone LOKLINDT*

François LONCLE*

Jean-Louis LORRAIN*

George LOUKAIDES

Younal LOUTFI*

Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA*

Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ*

Philippe MAHOUX

Gennaro MALGIERI*

Nicole MANZONE-SAQUET/ Bernard Marquet

Pietro MARCENARO

Milica MARKOVIĆ

Muriel MARLAND-MILITELLO/Jacques Legendre

Meritxell MATEU PI/Josep Anton Bardina Pau

Pirkko MATTILA

Frano MATUŠIĆ*

Liliane MAURY PASQUIER

Michael McNAMARA*

Sir Alan MEALE

Ermira MEHMETI DEVAJA*

Evangelos MEIMARAKIS*

Ivan MELNIKOV*

Nursuna MEMECAN

José MENDES BOTA*

Dragoljub MIĆUNOVIĆ*

Jean-Claude MIGNON/Christine Marin

Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ*

Akaki MINASHVILI

Federica MOGHERINI REBESANI

Andrey MOLCHANOV*

Jerzy MONTAG*

Patrick MORIAU*

João Bosco MOTA AMARAL

Arkadiusz MULARCZYK*

Alejandro MUÑOZ-ALONSO

Lydia MUTSCH/Fernand Boden

Philippe NACHBAR*

Oľga NACHTMANNOVÁ*

Adrian NĂSTASE*

Gebhard NEGELE

Aleksandar NENKOV*

Pasquale NESSA

Fritz NEUGEBAUER

Baroness Emma NICHOLSON

Elena NIKOLAEVA*

Tomislav NIKOLIĆ*

Aleksandar NIKOLOSKI*

Carina OHLSSON/Lennart Axelsson

Joseph O'REILLY*

Sandra OSBORNE*

Nadia OTTAVIANI*

Liliana PALIHOVICI

Vassiliki PAPANDREOU*

Eva PARERA*

Ganira PASHAYEVA*

Lajla PERNASKA

Johannes PFLUG*

Alexander POCHINOK

Ivan POPESCU

Lisbeth Bech POULSEN/ Nikolaj Villumsen

Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN

Cezar Florin PREDA*

Lord John PRESCOTT*

Jakob PRESEČNIK/Andreja Crnak Meglič

Radoslav PROCHÁZKA*

Gabino PUCHE

Alexey PUSHKOV*

Valeriy PYSARENKO*

Valentina RADULOVIĆ-ŠĆEPANOVIĆ*

Elżbieta RADZISZEWSKA

Mailis REPS/Indrek Saar

Andrea RIGONI*

François ROCHEBLOINE/Yves Pozzo Di Borgo

Maria de Belém ROSEIRA*

René ROUQUET

Marlene RUPPRECHT*

Ilir RUSMALI*

M. Armen RUSTAMYAN

Branko RUŽIĆ*

Volodymyr RYBAK*

Rovshan RZAYEV

Džavid ŠABOVIĆ/Ervin Spahić

Giacomo SANTINI

Giuseppe SARO

Kimmo SASI

Stefan SCHENNACH

Marina SCHUSTER

Urs SCHWALLER/Raphaël Comte

Senad ŠEPIĆ*

Samad SEYIDOV

Jim SHERIDAN

Mykola SHERSHUN

Adalbi SHKHAGOVEV/Alexey Knyshov

Robert SHLEGEL/Anvar Makhmutov

Ladislav SKOPAL/Dana Váhalová

Leonid SLUTSKY

Serhiy SOBOLEV

Roberto SORAVILLA/Luz Elena Sanín

Maria STAVROSITU*

Arūnė STIRBLYTĖ*

Yanaki STOILOV

Fiorenzo STOLFI*

Christoph STRÄSSER

Karin STRENZ*

Giacomo STUCCHI/Paolo Grimoldi

Valeriy SUDARENKOV*

Björn von SYDOW

Petro SYMONENKO*

Vilmos SZABÓ*

Melinda SZÉKYNÉ SZTRÉMI/Imre Vejkey

Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI

Giorgi TARGAMADZÉ/Giorgi Kandelaki

Dragan TODOROVIĆ*

Romana TOMC*

Lord John E. TOMLINSON

Latchezar TOSHEV

Petré TSISKARISHVILI

Mihai TUDOSE*

Ahmet Kutalmiş TÜRKEŞ*

Tuğrul TÜRKEŞ*

Konstantinos TZAVARAS*

Tomáš ÚLEHLA/Lenka Andrýsová

Ilyas UMAKHANOV*

Giuseppe VALENTINO/ Renato Farina

Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS*

Stefaan VERCAMER

Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN

Luigi VITALI*

Luca VOLONTÈ*

Vladimir VORONIN/Grigore Petrenco

Tanja VRBAT/Ivan Račan

Konstantinos VRETTOS

Klaas de VRIES

Nataša VUČKOVIĆ

Piotr WACH

Johann WADEPHUL

Robert WALTER

Katrin WERNER

Renate WOHLWEND

Karin S. WOLDSETH

Gisela WURM*

Karl ZELLER/Paolo Corsini

Kostiantyn ZHEVAHO*

Emanuelis ZINGERIS/Birutė Vėsaitė

Guennady ZIUGANOV*

Naira ZOHRABYAN

Vacant Seat, Cyprus*

ALSO PRESENT

Representatives and Substitutes not authorised to vote:

Joseph FALZON

Doris FROMMELT

Johannes HÜBNER

Ismo SOUKOLA

Observers:

Corneliu CHISU

Hervé Pierre GUILLOT

Gilbert ROOS

Jordi XUCLÀ

Partners for democracy:

Ms Najat ALASTAL