5.1 with respect to Armenia: the
Assembly regrets the excessive polarisation and stigmatisation of political
opponents by all sides. It is deeply concerned by the tensions between
the prime minister and the head of the Armenian Church and by the
reports of plots to usurp power by several clergymen belonging to
the Armenian Apostolic Church. While reiterating that three consecutive
elections have been free of irregularities since 2018, the Assembly
underlines the need to implement regulations on the misuse of public
resources and the financing of political parties. Ahead of the June
2026 general elections, the Assembly calls for an improvement in
relations between the political majority and the opposition, in
order to ensure that the election campaign is issue- and policy-driven,
and free from personal attacks between election contestants. In
this context, the Assembly refers to the recommendation of the European
Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) that elected bodies
and political parties should adopt appropriate codes of conduct
that prohibit the use of hate speech, call on their members and
followers to abstain from engaging in, endorsing or disseminating
it, and provide for sanctions. The Assembly takes note of the current
prime minister’s intention to organise a constitutional referendum
after the 2026 general elections;
5.2 with respect to Azerbaijan: with reference to its
Resolution 2527 (2024) “Challenge,
on substantive grounds, of the still unratified credentials of the
parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan”, the Assembly remains seriously
concerned about the further deterioration of the human rights situation
in the country and the increase in the number of persons detained
allegedly on politically motivated grounds, including civil society
activists, journalists and media workers, academics, opposition politicians
and other government critics. It exhorts the authorities to end
retaliatory prosecutions and to release immediately all those detained
on politically motivated charges, including 23 Armenian detainees,
the human rights defender, Mr Anar Mammadli, and the journalists
and media workers involved in the Abzas Media case. The Assembly
again calls upon the authorities to amend the Law on Political Parties,
the Law on Media and relevant non-governmental organisation (NGO)
legislation in line with the recommendations of the European Commission
for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and to implement the
judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The Assembly reiterates
its condemnation of the decision by the Azerbaijani Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to declare numerous members of the Assembly
personae non gratae as a result
of,
inter alia, their vote
in favour of
Resolution 2527 (2024) and
urges the authorities to immediately revoke this decision. The Assembly takes
note of the resumption of co-operation between the Azerbaijani authorities
and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and calls on the authorities
to engage in constructive dialogue with all Council of Europe bodies,
including the Assembly itself;
5.3 with respect to Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Assembly welcomes
the resolution of the recent political crisis through adherence
to the rule of law and democratic elections. It also welcomes the Republika
Srpska National Assembly’s decision to annul entity-level laws adopted
between 2023 and 2025 that were declared unconstitutional. The Assembly
notes the organisation of an early election for the President of
Republika Srpska, in order to replace Mr Milorad Dodik, whose mandate
was revoked by a definitive and legally binding judicial decision.
However, it regrets the very low voter turnout and allegations of
electoral fraud during these elections, despite the 2024 amendments
to the Electoral Code designed to enhance transparency and integrity
in the electoral process. With regard to the decision-making process
at the State level, the Assembly is concerned about the ongoing
use of vetoes and blocking procedures for political reasons, which
hinder the implementation of reforms. The Assembly urges the presidency
of Bosnia and Herzegovina to complete the selection procedure for
the post of judge at the European Court of Human Rights in respect
of Bosnia and Herzegovina without further delay, in conformity with
the requirements of fairness and transparency. The Assembly notes
the ongoing discussions about the amendments to the Law on the Courts
of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial
Council and calls upon the relevant authorities to adopt these legislative
instruments expeditiously, in accordance with the Venice Commission’s recommendations;
5.4 with respect to Georgia: the Assembly reiterates its position
as set out in
Resolutions 2585 (2025),
2600 (2025) and 2624 (2025) and expresses deep concern about the increasingly
rapid breakdown of democracy in Georgia. It deeply regrets that
developments in 2025 have cast doubt on the existence of democracy
in the country and the authorities’ willingness to fulfil Georgia’s membership
obligations and accession commitments to the Council of Europe.
The Assembly condemns the ruling majority’s appeal to the Constitutional
Court to ban three key opposition movements: the United National
Movement, Ahali/Coalition for Change and Lelo/Strong Georgia. It
also expresses concern about the politically motivated and trumped-up
charges against key opposition leaders and NGO activists. The Assembly
calls upon the authorities to cease these unacceptable actions against
the democratic opposition, as pursuing them would effectively establish
a dictatorship in Georgia. The Assembly urges the authorities to
reverse this democratic backsliding immediately, engage in dialogue
with the Assembly and ensure that the country honours its membership
obligations;
5.5 with respect to Hungary: the Assembly refers to
Resolution 2617 (2025) and
reiterates its concerns about both the weakening of democratic checks
and balances and the instrumentalisation of constitutional norms,
the Fundamental Law and cardinal laws to cement the political preferences
of the ruling party. Regarding elections, the Assembly notes with
concern that successive reforms have amplified the distortion between
the number of votes received and the number of seats obtained. It therefore
calls for a complete overhaul of electoral legislation after the
2026 elections, based on inclusive consultations with the main political
parties, civil society organisations and scholars. The Assembly
also expresses its concern about the lack of political will to tackle
high-level corruption, as well as about measures aimed at silencing
civil society organisations and the independent media. The Assembly
calls on Hungary to abolish the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty
and to reject the bill on the transparency of public life;
5.6 with respect to the Republic of Moldova: the Assembly
welcomes the Moldovan authorities’ continued commitment to reforming
their democratic institutions in line with European standards and norms.
It urges the authorities to ensure these reforms are as transparent
and inclusive as possible to guarantee their effectiveness and irreversibility.
The Assembly condemns the Russian Federation’s unprecedented interference
in the recent parliamentary elections, as well as its efforts to
destabilise the country. In order to strengthen the resilience of
Moldovan institutions against such efforts, the Assembly recommends
that the Moldovan authorities continue to reform electoral legislation
in line with the Venice Commission’s recommendations, including
with respect to postal voting. Furthermore, it recommends that the
authorities continue to strengthen the legal framework for freedom
of expression by reviewing legislation that allows for the banning
of media outlets and by adopting the new Law on Mass Media without
delay;
5.7 with respect to Poland: the Assembly takes note of the
outcome of the presidential election that took place in May and
June 2025, assessed by the International Election Observation Mission
as “competitive and well managed”. It expresses concern about the
deep polarisation of the country and urges the government and president
to work together to resolve their institutional disputes and to
unblock the much-needed reforms of the judiciary that are necessary
to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
with regard to the independence of the judiciary in Poland. The Assembly
therefore calls upon the authorities to fully address the recommendations
of the Venice Commission in its upcoming opinion on the draft laws
regarding the status of judges in Poland;
5.8 with respect to Serbia: the Assembly is concerned about
the escalation of the ongoing mass protests since November 2024,
which followed the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy.
It notes that these protests have spread across the country, involving
a wide range of social groups who are demanding new elections, accountability,
transparency and justice. The Assembly calls on the Serbian authorities
to address the protesters’ legitimate demands and engage in constructive
dialogue. It also urges the authorities to refrain from using disproportionate
violence against protesters and to ensure that all incidents of
violence are investigated promptly, independently and effectively.
Anyone found responsible for violent acts, whether they are enforcement
officers or private individuals, should be held accountable. The
Assembly also calls on the authorities to stop harassing, smearing
and intimidating civil society organisations and activists. Regarding
media freedom, the Assembly expresses concern about revelations
of surveillance of Serbian journalists and activists and urges the
authorities to end this practice and conduct effective investigations
into abuses. Those responsible must be held accountable. The preparation
of the next report on the honouring of obligations and commitments
by Serbia is a matter of priority;
5.9 with respect to Türkiye: the Assembly refers to its
Resolutions 2599 (2025),
2528 (2024), 2518 (2023) and 2459 (2022). It calls again upon the
authorities to fully and swiftly implement the judgments of the
European Court of Human Rights and exhorts them to release Mr Osman
Kavala, Mr Selahattin Demirtaş and Ms Yüksekdağ Şenoğlu without
delay. It furthermore urges the authorities to take legislative
measures in order to introduce the “right to hope” (see
Őcalan v. Turkey(No. 2)). The Assembly urges the
authorities to carry out the necessary reforms to restore an effective
system of checks and balances and to ensure full independence of
the judiciary. In addition, it calls on the authorities to put an
end to all forms of reprisals against politicians, lawyers, journalists
and civil society activists and to take all necessary measures to
eliminate physical ill-treatment in places of detention and to ensure
accountability for its use. The Assembly furthermore calls on the
authorities to respect the will of the people expressed in democratic
elections, in particular by not replacing democratically elected mayors
with governors appointed by the minister of the interior and by
stopping attacks on opposition parties, including the main opposition
party – the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Recalling its
Resolution 2597 (2025),
it calls again on the authorities to release Mr Ekrem İmamoğlu and
to drop all unfounded charges against him. Finally, the Assembly
welcomes the “terror-free Türkiye” process started following the
call on 27 February 2025 by the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Őcalan, for the PKK to lay down its
arms and disband. It calls on the authorities and all concerned
stakeholders to continue taking concrete steps within this process
in order to achieve sustainable peace and political stability;
5.10 with respect to Ukraine: the Assembly welcomes the numerous
reforms introduced by the Ukrainian authorities to guarantee the
functioning of the country’s democratic and rule-of-law institutions in
accordance with European standards, despite the ongoing large-scale
aggression of the Russian Federation. It notes the ambitious reform
programme initiated as part of their accession negotiations with the
European Union, many of which address areas that are also covered
in the monitoring procedure in respect of Ukraine. However, the
Assembly urges the Ukrainian authorities to strengthen parliamentary oversight
of the executive and to ensure that legislative processes are transparent
and inclusive. Overall, Ukraine continued to make progress in fighting
endemic corruption in the country during the assessed period. Nevertheless,
noting the continued widespread corruption in Ukraine, the Assembly
is concerned by reports of actions that could restrict the autonomy
and effectiveness of the country’s anti-corruption agencies. It
welcomes efforts to align minority rights with European standards
and therefore calls on the authorities to address the Venice Commission’s
recommendations on the Law on National Minorities (Communities)
of Ukraine and related legislation such as the Education Law and
the State Language Law. The Assembly commends the resilience of
the Ukrainian population in the face of the Russian Federation’s
blatant aggression, for which the Russian Federation should be held
fully accountable.
