Written declaration No. 689 | Doc. 14940 | 15 October 2019

Statement by members of delegations on the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly to approve the credentials of the Russian delegation

Signatories: Ms Linda OZOLA, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EC ; Ms Ann-Britt ÅSEBOL, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Włodzimierz BERNACKI, Poland, EC ; Mr Algirdas BUTKEVIČIUS, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Ms Annicka ENGBLOM, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Nino GOGUADZE, Georgia, EC ; Ms Marija GOLUBEVA, Latvia, ALDE ; Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine, EC ; Ms Mariia IONOVA, Ukraine, EC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Sofio KATSARAVA, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Serhii KIRAL, Ukraine, EC ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Kęstutis MASIULIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Martin POLIAČIK, Slovak Republic, ALDE ; Ms Irina PRUIDZE, Georgia, EC ; Ms Dana REIZNIECE-OZOLA, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Indrek SAAR, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Raivo TAMM, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

The unconditional restoration of the Russian delegation’s rights, without the Russian Federation honouring any of the Parliamentary Assembly’s numerous demands, runs counter to the core values of the Council of Europe and its Statute. This step sends a very wrong signal to the country that has resorted to armed aggression, poisoning of individuals, does not observe human rights of its citizens and does not promote, but rather seeks to destabilise democracies throughout Europe.

Today, we as the delegates of our nations have no answer to our people on how exactly the Council of Europe is protecting their rights if it turns out to be interested in protecting the well-being of an aggressor rather than the victims of aggression and repression.

The future of the Council of Europe is under threat as a whole because the Council of Europe is losing the trust of the people it stands to protect.

We return home to consult our Parliaments and Governments about the joint actions in the Assembly in the next sessions.

We wish good luck to the newly elected Secretary General and hope she finds a way to solve this unprecedented crisis of trust which has been created this week.