13/04/2011 Monitoring
In an information note on their fact-finding visit to Moscow and Kazan from 18 to 21 January 2011, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Russia, György Frunda (Romania, EPP/CD) and Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), state their intention of presenting a full monitoring report by the end of the year, so as to enable the Assembly to hold a debate on this subject after the legislative elections due in December 2011, but before the presidential election scheduled for mid-2012.
While Russia is a Party to 56 Council of Europe conventions, it has signed, but as yet not ratified, Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the European Convention on Nationality and the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism. It has not yet signed or ratified the Civil Law Convention on Corruption, as Mr Frunda and Mr Gross point out.
They emphasise that Russia has, since its accession, worked impressively hard to bring its legislation into line with Council of Europe standards. Among the outstanding issues to which more attention should be paid, they mention inter alia the 2009 amendments to the Law on defence relating to the sending abroad of Russian troops, which raise questions concerning conformity with international law, and the extent to which the executive's decision-making powers are consistent with the need for democratic control over the armed forces.
The information note also considers the 2010 Law on security services, which, according to the opposition, may be used as an instrument to threaten anyone who is in opposition or simply criticises the authorities, as well as journalists investigating sensitive stories; the Law on police, which has been criticised for non-compliance with European standards; the Law on fighting extremist activity; and the question of the electoral threshold, which, in the view of PACE, should not be higher than 5 per cent.
The co-rapporteurs emphasise that the fact that a large part of the Russian opposition is still unrepresented in the Duma and is not participating in political dialogue gives cause for concern. "Such a situation cannot be beneficial for the democratic system as a whole," they say.
Where pluralist democracy, the rule of law, human rights and basic freedoms are concerned, they draw attention inter alia to the problems associated with the freedom of expression of journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and civil society activists, with freedom of assembly, with the independence of the judiciary and with the deficiencies of the judicial system.
Lastly, the co-rapporteurs express satisfaction about visible progress in the execution of European Court judgments, particularly the adoption of the law on compensation for victims of excessive length of procedures, which addresses a long-standing concern.