Council of Europe nod for Russia to return
Print Edition
The Council of Europe鈥檚 parliamentary assembly agreed early yesterday to allow Russian representatives to return to the body, five years after it was stripped of its voting rights.
Despite strong opposition from Ukraine, 118 parliamentarians from Council of Europe member states agreed that Russia could present a delegation, paving the way for it to participate in the election of a new secretary general for the pan-European rights body today.
Sixty-two members of the Strasbourg-based body鈥檚 parliamentary assembly voted against the move and there were 10 abstentions following Monday鈥檚 late-night debate.
Moscow representatives were stripped of their voting rights after the Crimea incident in 2014.
Russia responded by boycotting the assembly and has since 2017 refused to pay its 33-million-euro (US$37 million) share of the annual budget of the human rights watchdog.
Russia said that it would quit the body if it was not allowed to take part in today鈥檚 election, a move that would have prevented Russian citizens from being able to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Amelie de Montchalin, France鈥檚 Secretary of State for European Affairs, said: 鈥淚t would be dangerous ... to deprive millions of citizens of access to bodies that protect their rights.鈥
Ukraine was supported by Baltic countries and Britain.
The Council of Europe, which is separate from the European Union, has no binding powers but brings together around 300 lawmakers from 47 states to make recommendations on rights and democracy.
Its centerpiece is the European Court of Human Rights.
The Council鈥檚 Parliamentary Assembly will today elect a new secretary general to replace Norway鈥檚 Thorbjorn Jagland.
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