Possible liquidation of the civil organisation International Memorial by the Russian Government

Written declaration No. 733 | Doc. 15417 | 09 February 2022

Signatories:

Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Ms Thórhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR, Iceland, SOC ; Ms Laima Liucija ANDRIKIENĖ, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Lord Richard BALFE, United Kingdom ; Mr Irakli CHIKOVANI, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Alexander CHRISTIANSSON, Sweden, EC/DA ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Annicka ENGBLOM, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Lord Leslie GRIFFITHS, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ LIMONES, Spain, SOC ; Mr Momodou Malcolm JALLOW, Sweden, UEL ; Mr Raimond KALJULAID, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Kimmo KILJUNEN, Finland, SOC ; Mr Luís LEITE RAMOS, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksandr MEREZHKO, Ukraine, NR ; Ms Mariia MEZENTSEVA, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, EC/DA ; Mr Andreas NICK, Germany ; Ms Fiona O'LOUGHLIN, Ireland, ALDE ; Mr Aleksander POCIEJ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Petra STIENEN, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr Davor Ivo STIER, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Nicole TRISSE, France, ALDE ; Ms Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, EC/DA

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We express our deepest concern and regret regarding the attempts of the Russian authorities to liquidate International Memorial.

International Memorial brings together organisations that have been dedicated to uncovering the terrible crimes of Stalinism against humanity for over 30 years. This organisation managed to release the names of more than three million victims of the mass repression of the Soviet totalitarian communism regime in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic States and other occupied countries.

Memorial organisations not only focus on the past. Thanks to their work, we know about human rights violations, political prisoners in today’s Russian Federation and many other important problems.

International Memorial received the biggest international awards for its huge input educating new generations in a democratic spirit.

The current move by the Russian Government to close the organisation is the last step in destroying democracy in the Russian Federation.

We call again on the Russian Federation to stop harassing and persecuting human rights defenders and we urge the Council of Europe – the Secretary General, the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly – to react immediately and to protect International Memorial from liquidation.