Russian Federation: Council of Europe

Lord Tomlinson Excerpts

Tuesday 30th October 2012 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Tomlinson]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by the Russian Federation.

[The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi)]

My Lords, the report is a detailed summary of the state of human rights in Russia today. It addresses some of the human rights issues of most concern in Russia, such as the new restrictive legislation on non-governmental organisations, the case of Sergei Magnitsky, the murders of human rights defenders and human rights violations in the North Caucasus region. We support the overall focus of the resolution, which gives recommendations to help to improve human rights protection in Russia.

[Lord Tomlinson]

My Lords, in view of the seriousness of this report, are Her Majesty’s Government concerned that the report was blocked from being sent to the Committee of Ministers because it did not attain the necessary two-thirds majority, largely as a result of the political group in which the Conservative Party sits in the Council of Europe voting against it? The group voted with Putin’s United Russia party and not for a proper examination by the Committee of Ministers. Therefore, will the Minister herself ensure that our ambassador to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg is instructed to raise this important report with the Committee of Ministers?

[Baroness Warsi]

The noble Lord will be aware that the UK Government are not part of the process by which the Parliamentary Assembly adopts reports and makes recommendations. He will also be aware that the government response to the report lays out those parts of it that we agree with and those parts that we may not. The process that is adopted thereafter as to whether this matter will be dealt with by a simple resolution or will go further in the form of a recommendation is a matter for the Parliamentary Assembly.