Suspension of the voting rights of the Russian delegation (Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly)

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13459 corr. | 24 March 2014

Signatories:

Mr Michael Aastrup JENSEN, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Danielle AUROI, France, SOC ; Mr Daniel BACQUELAINE, Belgium, ALDE ; Mr Levan BERDZENISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Lorenzo CESA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Henryk CIOCH, Poland, NR ; Mr Roel DESEYN, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Mr Mustafa DZHEMILIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Lady Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Ivan FURSIN, Ukraine, EDG ; Mr Karl GARÐARSSON, Iceland, ALDE ; Ms Iryna GERASHCHENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Zbigniew GIRZYŃSKI, Poland, NR ; Ms Alina Ştefania GORGHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Ms Iwona GUZOWSKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrzej HALICKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Tedo JAPARIDZE, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Mariusz KAMIŃSKI, Poland, NR ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Algis KAŠĖTA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Tinatin KHIDASHELI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Olena KONDRATIUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy LABAZIUK, Ukraine, NR ; Mr Tomasz LENZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Sophie LØHDE, Denmark, ALDE ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Jean-Pierre MICHEL, France, SOC ; Ms Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, NR ; Ms Judith OEHRI, Liechtenstein, ALDE ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Lesia OROBETS, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleh PANKEVYCH, Ukraine, NR ; Mr Bernard PASQUIER, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Gabriela PECKOVÁ, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Mr Stanislav POLČÁK, Czech Republic, EPP/CD ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Ms Jadwiga ROTNICKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Pavlo RYABIKIN, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksandr SHEVCHENKO, Ukraine, NR ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Robert WALTER, United Kingdom, EDG ; Baroness Judith WILCOX, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Łukasz ZBONIKOWSKI, Poland, NR ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly, holding firmly to the founding ideals and principles of the Council of Europe as well as to the binding procedures set up by the Assembly to achieve a greater unity between its member States for the purpose of safeguarding and realising these ideals and principles, are seriously concerned about the persistent failure by the Russian Federation to honour its obligations and commitments.

The conflict in Ukraine fully demonstrates the relevance of ever more extensive European construction and it is for the Council of Europe a key player in that construction, to adopt a stance in line with its principles and values.

The actions of Russian military forces in the Crimea peninsula, as well as explicit threats of military actions in the rest of Ukraine’s territory, are in direct violation of international law, including the UN Charter, the OSCE Helsinki Final Act, the Statute of the Council of Europe, as well as Russia’s accession commitments. Furthermore, the use of armed forces on the territory of Ukraine was authorized by the Federation Council of Russia on 1 March 2014.

Aware of the potential consequences of such situation for the stability and peace in Europe, we call for a firmer response against a policy based on show of force and provocation. The risk of uncontrolled chain reactions and fears of the existence of a broader-reaching strategy than the one operated in Ukraine and especially in the Crimea are a grave threat to international security.

In 2000 the voting rights of the Russian delegation was suspended due to the Russian military activities in Chechnya. This time Russian military has violated the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and this must have immediate consequences. Both actions cannot be accepted and they are in direct contradiction with the ideas and values of the Council of Europe.

In the light of the above, the undersigned demand the Assembly to – on the basis of Rule 9.1.a. of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly - suspend the voting rights of the Russian delegation.