From October 10 to 14, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held its autumn plenary session in Strasbourg, France.
PACE passed Resolution 2463, which deems Georgia’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, to be a political prisoner and calls for a review of his case and his release.
The resolution also said repression is becoming more prevalent in the Russian Federation.
The Parliamentary Assembly said the “authorities have implemented a far-reaching crackdown on civil liberties based on intimidation and open persecution, with the goal to provoke a state of terror in the general public for political purposes. Democratic figures are being repressed or killed, the system of opposition parties has been destroyed, the judiciary is not independent and many media and civil society organizations, such as Memorial International, have been closed down. Despite the many draconian measures passed in recent years, anti-war demonstrations and protests have been breaking out across the country.”
“Amongst the most prominent public figures being persecuted for voicing criticism against the war is Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has been detained since April 2022”, the resolution stated.
The Assembly was proud to confer the Václav Havel Prize on Kara-Murza, reaffirming support for his courage and determination to build a peaceful, democratic Russia, based on the resolution.
“The Assembly calls on the Russian authorities for the immediate release of Vladimir Kara-Murza,” underlined the Assembly.
“The Assembly also calls for a review of cases of other political prisoners opposed to President Putin, in the Russian Federation and in other countries, and for their release (including Mikheil Saakashvili, Ukrainian citizen and former President of Georgia),” highlights the resolution.
By Sophie Hodler
