On 30 September, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a political resolution on the Russian «elections». In it, the Assembly stated that the new State Duma of the Russian Federation cannot be regarded as a democratically elected or legitimate representative body.
Briefly about the main points
- On 30 September, the PACE adopted a resolution on the Russian «elections».
- The Assembly stated that the new State Duma cannot be regarded as a democratically elected or legitimate body.
- PACE has described the Russian Federation’s electoral activities in the occupied territories as a violation of international law.
- Kravchuk announced that the resolution had been unanimously supported by 59 votes.
What decision did PACE adopt?
In Strasbourg, the PACE considered and adopted, as a matter of urgency, a resolution entitled «Fake “elections” in Russia and its destabilising attacks on Europe». The official transcript of the sitting confirms the adoption of the document.
This is a political resolution of the Assembly, not a court ruling. According to a member of the Ukrainian delegation Yevheniia Kravchuk, it was unanimously supported by 59 votes. However, the available text of the PACE transcript does not contain the final voting tally.
What PACE said about voting in the occupied territories
Election to the State Duma of the Russian Federation took place on 18–20 September. PACE documents characterise Russia’s electoral activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.
The Assembly notes that such actions cannot have any legitimacy or legal effect. According to Kravchuk, the resolution also condemns the coercion of Ukrainians into taking part in Russian «elections».
Calls for sanctions and the isolation of the Russian Federation
During the debate, the speaker Alicia Kerns called for the introduction of sanctions against the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation, candidates and so-called «observers» involved in electoral activities in the illegally occupied territory of Ukraine.
According to Kravchuk, the document also calls for a refusal to engage with the new State Duma and for the political and diplomatic isolation of the Russian authorities to continue. She added that the resolution refers to restrictions on tourist visas for Russian citizens and stepping up support for Ukraine by utilising frozen Russian assets.
