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Tag: European Parliament

2023.05.02

European Parliament resolution on repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Aleksei Navalny

MEPs Andrius Kubilius and Rasa Juknevičienė and other MEPs initiated JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Aleksei Navalny 

The following text was adopted in the plenary session in Strasbourg: 

European Parliament resolution on repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Aleksei Navalny.

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Russia,

– having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russo-British journalist and opposition activist, was sentenced on 17 April 2023 to 25 years in prison for criticising Vladimir Putin’s regime and its war of aggression against Ukraine;

B. whereas the Russian regime has been steadily increasing its repression of its population and political opponents to levels reminiscent of the Stalin-era show trials under the infamous Article 58 of the Penal Code;

C. whereas Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian political figure and laureate of the Sakharov Prize 2021, remains incarcerated in a penal colony where he has been subject to ill treatment, including torture, arbitrary punishment and psychological pressure;

D. whereas the health of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny is rapidly deteriorating due to mistreatment and lack of proper medical care, with Kara-Murza having been diagnosed with polyneuropathy and Navalny suffering from suspected poisoning;

E. whereas the Kremlin regime’s harsh treatment of Russian citizens is a criminal violation of human rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and may amount to a crime against humanity;

1. Strongly condemns the politically motivated conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza by the Russian authorities and demands his and Alexei Navalny’s immediate and unconditional release, as well as the release of all other political prisoners;

2. Expresses serious concerns about the rapid deterioration of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s and Alexei Navalny’s health and reminds Russia of its international obligations, in particular regarding their access to medical treatment, lawyers and communication with their families;

3. Stands in solidarity with Vladimir Kara-Murza, his wife Evgenia, his family, as well as with all other brave Russians who, despite the widespread repression and severe personal consequences, still find the courage to speak the truth and uphold human values;

4. Urges the Council to adopt tough sanctions under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime (the EU’s Magnitsky Act) against Russian judges, prosecutors and other individuals responsible for arbitrary prosecutions, detentions and torture in the context of politically motivated trials;

5. Denounces the escalation of human rights violations by the Russian regime and condemns the ongoing crackdown on government critics, human rights defenders and independent journalists; calls on the UN Human Rights Council to conduct an immediate investigation into the acts of inhuman imprisonment, torture and murder of political opponents;

6. Urges the EU and the UK to coordinate efforts to secure Vladimir Kara-Murza’s release;

7. Reiterates its call for the diplomatic representations of the EU and its Member States to continue to closely monitor court proceedings against political opponents and their prison conditions;

8. Urges the Member States to provide humanitarian visas and other support to Russian dissidents at risk of political prosecution;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the Russian authorities and make it available in the Russian language.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2023-0225_EN.html

2022.11.16

EPP proposal for Resolution on Recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism

The European Parliament is moving forward with the adoption of the resolution on recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The adoption is planned in the plenary meeting next week in Strasbourg. Political groups have already presented their suggestions and expect to finalise the text this Thursday (November 17) or Friday (November 18) at the latest.

The draft resolution as proposed by the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

 

2022.11.01

MEP R. Juknevičienė participated in the 42nd session of ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly in Maputo

MEP Rasa Juknevičienė took part in the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly plenary debate. She spoke on the issue of consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine and food supply:
“This debate must be about the causes of the problem and its solutions. Putin’s Russia has attacked a sovereign European country and is trying to colonise it.
Putin does not only use missiles. He also uses lies. He lies when he talks about colonialism.
HE is the coloniser. Russia is weaponizing food and starvation and we have to stay united to help each other.
Many are saying, that military solution is not the solution. But as a medical doctor, I can tell you – when regular treatment fails, only surgery can help.
We are at that point. For 20 years, European leaders have tried to deal with Putin through dialogue and cooperation.
In turn, the dictator has only strengthened the imperialistic ambitions.
The problem of food supply will be solved, when Ukraine will win this war.
And Ukraine will win.
Today, I call on you to take the side of a Ukraine, the right side of the history.
Putin’s Russia is losing, is not capable of winning the war anymore. That’s why they are killing civilians and creating chaos in the world.
Russia acts as a terrorist state. And terrorists must be stopped.
Putin’s regime defeat is a victory for the Russian people as well to become a normal and non-aggressive state.
Slava Ukraini!”

2021.11.30

R. Juknevičienė to coordinate foreign affairs and security at the largest EP group

At last week’s European People’s Party Group leadership meeting, its President Manfred Weber announced that MEP Rasa Juknevičienė will be responsible for coordinating foreign affairs and security policy at the EP’s largest political group. Ms Juknevičienė, who became the group’s vice-president in October this year, has been appointed the head of the group’s foreign policy working group. All vice-presidents are responsible for their assigned areas.

The MEP notes that the EU faces several challenges in the area of foreign affairs and security, including the hybrid attack on the EU by the Belarusian regime, the Kremlin’s escalation in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, the recent focus on relations with China and Taiwan, the security situation in the Sahel, the review of the EU-Africa Partnership Strategy, Afghanistan and the future of relations with the US, cyber security challenges, and so on.

“I am ready to work with my colleagues to find a common consensus on the position of the EPP Group on these important issues of foreign and security policy,” said Ms Juknevičienė.

The Bureau of the EPP Group is composed of the President and 10 Vice-Presidents. The Bureau coordinates the work of the members of all 20 parliamentary committees and actively shapes the group’s political direction and position in EP plenary sessions. R. Juknevičienė is the first Lithuanian woman to hold such a senior position in the leadership of the EPP Group. She is vice-chair of the EP’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence, a member of the Development Committee, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Committee on Foreign Interference in EU Democratic Processes, the initiator and coordinator of the European Memory Group, vice-chair of the South Caucasus Delegation, and a successful representative of the European Parliament in the negotiations on the EU’s largest financial instrument, Global Europe.

2021.10.14

For first time Lithuanian MEP Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ elected to leadership of largest EP group

MEP Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ (EPP, LT) was today elected as Vice-Chair of the EPP, the largest political group in the European Parliament, uniting 179 MEPs from 26 EU member states. In the vote, she was among the five candidates with the most votes out of 11 candidates. This is the first time a Lithuanian representative will hold such a high position in the EPP Group. R. Juknevičienė was delegated by the delegations of the Nordic and Baltic MEPs. She also received a lot of support from parliamentarians of other countries.

“I come from a pro-European country. The people who voted for me are in favour of a strong and united EU. This is also the mandate given to me in the EPP Group – a family I have been proud to belong to for almost 30 years,” JUKNEVIČIENĖ noted. She said she believed in the unification of the European continent, a continent without dictatorships, and saw this as an exclusive task of the EPP.

2021.04.08

Joint Call of Parliamentarians on the condition of Alexei Navalny in prison

We, the undersigned, are shocked and troubled by the most recent news of Alexei Navalny’s condition in prison. 

Russia’s leading opposition figure is reported to suffer severe back pain with losing sensitivity in parts of his legs. It is no more than six months since he survived a vicious poisoning attack with a nerve agent that has long-term crippling effects on his health. In prison, he is systematically denied any medical treatment. On top, prison guards wake him up every hour at night, a practice amounting to torture by sleep deprivation according to his lawyers. This is why medical experts called on the Russian authorities to allow Mr Navalny’s treatment and why he himself now resorted to a hunger strike. Let’s not forget: Mr Navalny’s incarceration itself is a travesty of justice – he was formally sent to prison for not checking in with Russian authorities on a fabricated case (as confirmed by European Court of Human Rights) when he was recuperating in Germany from poisoning and subsequent coma.

Russian authorities with its secret services tried to kill Alexei Navalny last August, they may now be attempting the same, in a slower, even more cynical way. 

Europe has offered Alexei Navalny a place to recover from the attempt at his life. Specialized labs in Germany, France and Sweden confirmed the assassination attempt used Novichok, an internationally banned chemical weapon. Angela Merkel personally met Mr Navalny in hospital and many other Western leaders expressed their solidarity after the poisoning attack. We need to intervene again. 

We urge Russia to immediately allow medical treatment of Alexei Navalny and release him from prison. We call on the EU Council as well as EU member states’ leaders to reach out to Russian authorities to request the immediate release of Alexei Navalny, which was mandated by European Court of Human Rights’ decision in February 2021. In addition, we demand the EU Council task EU ambassador to Russia to conduct, together partners from the UK, Canada and the US, a visit of the prison facility and meet Alexei Navalny. It is critical now that Alexei Navalny’s fate became the symbol of injustice many thousands face because of increasing brutality of Russian regime against its own citizens. 

In December 2020, the EU launched its Global Human Rights Sanction Regime modelled on so-called Magnitsky Act. This law has been inspired by one Sergei Magnitsky, a brave Russian lawyer who was tortured to death in prison in 2009 – he was systematically denied treatment when he developed a serious medical condition. We still can act now in case of Alexei Navalny so we avoid commemorating later.

Marek HILSER, Senator, Czech Republic

Andrius KUBILIUS, MEP, EPP, Lithuania

Lukas WAGENKNECHT, Senator, Czech Republic

Žygimantas PAVILIONIS, MP, Lithuania

Miroslav BALATKA, Senator, Czech Republic

André GATTOLIN, Senator, France

Mikulas BEK, Senator, Czech Republic 

Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, MEP, Renew, Romania

David SMOLJAK, Senator, Czech Republic 

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, MEP, Renew, Lithuania

Tomas FIALA, Senator, Czech Republic 

Liudas MAŽYLIS, MEP, EPP Lithuania

Zdenek NYTRA, Senator, Czech Republic 

Dace MELBĀRDE, MEP, ECR, Latvia

Jan SOBOTKA, Senator, Czech Republic 

Matas MALDEIKIS, MP, Lithuania

Jiri RUZICKA, Senator, Czech Republic 

Bernard GUETTA, MEP, Renew, France

Jaromira VITKOVA, Senator, Czech Republic 

Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ, MEP, EPP, Lithuania

Petr OREL, Senator, Czech Republic 

Tomasz FRANKOWSKI, MEP, EPP, Poland 

Miroslava NEMCOVA, Senator, Czech Republic

Hermann TERTSCH, MEP, ECR, Spain

Premysl RABAS, Senator, Czech Republic 

Aušra MALDEIKIENĖ, MEP, EPP, Lithuania

Ladislav KOS, Senator, Czech Republic 

Attila ARA-KOVÁCS, MEP, S&D, Hungary

Sarka JELINKOVA, Senator, Czech Republic

Erik MARQUARDT, MEP, Greens, Germany

Pavel FISCHER, Senator, Czech Republic

Pernille WEISS, MEP, EPP, Denmark

Helena LANGSADLOVA, MP, Czech Republic

Roberts ZĪLE, MEP, ECR, Latvia

Jan LIPAVSKY, MP, Czech Republic

Klemen GROŠELJ, MEP, Renew, Slovenia

Pavel ZACEK, MP, Czech Republic

Riho TERRAS, MEP, EPP, Estonia

Ondrej BENESIK, MP, Czech Republic 

Miriam LEXMANN, MEP, EPP, Slovakia

Frantisek KOPRIVA, MP, Czech Republic 

Sandra KALNIETE, MEP, EPP, Latvia

Petr GAZDIK, MP, Czech Republic 

Jerzy BUZEK, MEP, EPP, Poland

Tomas MARTINEK, MP, Czech Republic 

Janina OCHOJSKA, MEP, EPP, Poland

Jan BARTOSEK, MP, Czech Republic

Eugen TOMAC, MEP, EPP, Romania

Jan FARSKY, MP, Czech Republic

Ivan ŠTEFANEC, MEP, EPP, Slovakia

Roman SKLENAK, MP, Czech Republic

Krzysztof HETMAN, MEP, EPP, Poland

Frantisek VACHA, MP, Czech Republic

Ivars IJABS, MEP, Renew, Latvia

Marek VYBORNY, MP, Czech Republic

Franc BOGOVIČ, MEP, EPP, Slovenia

Zbynek STANJURA, MP, Czech Republic

Radvilė MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ, MP, Lithuania

Petr FIALA, MP, Czech Republic

Raphaël GLUCKSMANN, MEP, S&D, France

Vít RAKUSAN, MP, Czech Republic

Juozas OLEKAS, MEP, S&D, Lithuania

Jaroslav VYMAZAL, MP, Czech Republic

Assita KANKO, MEP, ECR, Belgium

Adela SIPOVA, Senator, Czech Republic

Radosław SIKORSKI, MEP, EPP, Poland

Róża THUN UND HOHENSTEIN, MEP, EPP, Poland

Javier NART, MEP, Renew, Spain

Andrzej HALICKI, MEP, EPP, Poland

Alexander ALEXANDROV YORDANOV, MEP, EPP, Bulgaria

Ondřej KOVAŘÍK, MEP, Renew, Czech Republic

Andreas SCHIEDER, MEP, S&D, Austria

Leopoldo LÓPEZ GIL, MEP, EPP, Spain

Sergey LAGODINSKY, MEP, Greens, Germany

Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, MEP, EPP, Spain

Marketa GREGOROVA, MEP, Greens, Czech Republic

Lolita ČIGĀNE, MP, Latvia

Marko MIHKELSON, MP, Estonia

Renata CHMELOVA, Senator, Czech Republic

Bogdan KLICH, Senator, Poland

Lia Quartapelle, MEP, Italy

2021.04.07

Juknevičienė becomes rapporteur for Report on the State of EU Cyber Security Capabilities on behalf of EPP group

Member of the European Parliament Rasa Juknevičienė, who works at the parliament’s Sub-committee on Security and Defence, has become a rapporteur for the parliament’s Report on the State of EU Cyber Security Capacities, delegated by the European People’s Party group.

The document surveys the state of EU cyber capabilities and offers proposals and recommendations on the development of the aforementioned capacities within the EU. It is drafted by the Estonian member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Urmas Paet, with all the parliament’s political groups delegating their rapporteurs

“The number of cyber-attacks and cybercrimes is on the rise in Europe and they are becoming increasingly more refined. It appears that in the future this trend will only grow as it is expected that 22.3 billion devices around the world will be connected to the internet of things by 2024. Cyber threats are dangerous because they can paralyse the life of entire countries, and so it is crucial to reinforce the EU’s defences in this domain,” MEP R. Juknevičienė states. The lack of boundaries in the cybernetic domain and the high level of cyber-attacks are a massive threat, and so they demand intensive cooperation between the EU and NATO, as well as demanding a coordinated response on the EU’s part. The report notes that the EU and its member states must continue to build on their cybersecurity to develop combined and robust cybersecurity capacities as there is a noticeable growth in cyber operations being implemented by both state and non-state actors.

It is also emphasised that a joint cyber defence policy and capacities are key elements in developing a European defence union. It is planned for the report to be voted on at the European Parliament in September this year. In order to reinforce cyber-attack prevention, deterrence against them and the cooperation of EU and member state institutions responsible, the European Commission is looking to form a new joint cybersecurity section. In December 2020, the European Commission and the European External Action Service presented a new EU cybersecurity strategy, with the goal being to increase Europe’s resilience to cyber threats, and to ensure that all citizens and companies have full use of the opportunities offered by reliable digital services and solutions.

2020.01.28

MEP Kubilius: European Parliament has adopted the main provisions proposed by us regarding the future East Partnership strategy and the EU Russia strategy

The European Parliament (EP) adopted an important report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy. It defined the main EU provisions in respect of this policy and its future directions, the Lithuanian EPP press bureau announced in a press release.

The EP Foreign Affairs committee member Andrius Kubilius emphasises the document‘s importance because it reaffirmed the key provisions of the EP in the area of foreign and security policy. Even more significant is the fact that the Eastern Partnership policy and future EU relationship with Russia provisions proposed by A. Kubilius and his colleagues were adopted as well.

2020.01.23

MEPs expressed support for Poland seeking to defend the real European and World War II history

On 15 January, the European Parliament members of the European People‘s Party group, Andrius Kubilius and Rasa Juknevičienė participated in the press conference “Distortion of European history and remembrance of the Second World War” in Strasbourg together with parliamentary colleagues from Poland Andrzej Halicki and Radosław Sikorski, EPP Lithuanian Bureau reported.

A. Kubilius claimed to be surprised by the reaction of Russian President Vladimir Putin towards a resolution, adopted in Parliament in September “on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe“ and the attention paid to it at the end of 2019.

2019.12.09

Andrius Kubilius. On Western strategy towards Russia

There are two lines of thinking among the politicians in the EU on relations with Russia. There have always been those who call for – maintaining, restarting, refreshing – a dialogue with the current leadership of Moscow. This line of thinking was predominant until Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014. But recently it was brought to spotlight again by President Macron, wrote Andrius Kubilius, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, and Member of the European Parliament.

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