13/03/2024 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE’s General Rapporteur on human rights defenders and whistle-blowers and rapporteur on “Alexei Navalny’s death and the need to counter Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime and its war on democracy”, Emanuelis Zingeris (Lithuania, EPP/CD), has condemned last night’s attack against Leonid Volkov.
“Mr Volkov is a key member of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, serving until last year as its chair. I am shocked by reports that he was attacked with tear gas and fifteen blows of a hammer in my hometown Vilnius last night, suffering a broken arm and other extensive injuries,” Mr Zingeris said.
“Mr Volkov, the Lithuanian authorities and Lithuanian counter-intelligence all believe it likely that this mafia-style attack was Russian-organised and implemented.
I strongly condemn this barbaric act. It is an attack not only against an individual, but against a movement and an idea – the idea that Russia can have a brighter, more democratic and pro-European future.
I urge a co-ordinated transatlantic response to counter more vigorously the repeated, brazen attacks sponsored by foreign intelligence services on our territory and to increase the protection of high-profile individuals who have fled from Russia, Belarus, and other oppressive regimes.
I also urge the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to take up the Parliamentary Assembly’s suggestion of drawing up a recommendation to combat transnational repression. If we are to support a democratic future for Russia and Belarus, we must protect the people who are trying to build it.
Our thoughts at this time are also with Vladimir Kara-Murza and other political prisoners, who remain exposed to great danger. Our Assembly will hold an urgent debate on Alexei Navalny’s death and the need to counter Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime and its war on democracy during its next plenary Session (Strasbourg, 15-19 April 2024).”
