EU leaders must confront President Putin on the human rights crisis in Russia

ILGA-Europe calls on the European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy to speak out against the current human rights crisis in Russia.

The EU leaders should hold President Putin accountable for the current clampdown on civil society during the G20 meeting which is taking place on the 5-6 September in St. Petersburg, Russia.

We also call on Baroness Ashton, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, to put the Russian human rights crisis firmly on her agenda.

Last Wednesday, ILGA-Europe together with a number of Russian and international human rights organisations launched the campaign “Keep Hope Alive” highlighting the deteriorating human rights situation and escalating clamp down on civil society. The campaign calls on world leaders to raise these issues and challenge the Russian government demanding they reverse the current trend and to observe and respect Russia’s international human rights commitments and obligations.

Gabi Calleja, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, said:

“The human rights situation in Russia is in deep crisis. The homosexuality anti-propaganda law is just one example of this. So far Russia ignored all statements by international human rights organisations and case-law of the UN Human Rights Committee and the European Court of Human Rights. That is why our coalition of human rights organisations is calling on the world leaders to openly and firmly confront Russia.

Democracy and respect for human rights are the core values of the European Union and a corner stone of its relations and policies towards all other countries.  EU leaders cannot remain silent when those principles are brutally violated and they need to make this crystal clear to President Putin.”